This is pianist Joseph Moog’s ninth release on the Onyx label, a succession of recordings that reveal a refreshingly wide-ranging repertoire, including works by Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy, Rubinstein, Grieg, Liszt, and Moszkowski. His first Brahms recording (2017) paired the second concerto with Strauss’s ‘Burleske.’
The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie (who also accompanied Moog’s recording of the second Concerto) play the opening exposition with thrilling bravado, driving the music forward with inexorable momentum. Exemplary balance creates an image of opposing forces at battle. Moog’s first entrance brings warm, burnished color from his Steinway Model D. His phrasing is wonderfully natural, shaping each phrase with a subtle rubato. His dynamics control is conveyed effectively, though Moog’s pianissimo playing is at times too loud (The soft playing of Freire and Zimerman is a distinguishing aspect of their recordings.)
Moog’s technical prowess is awe-inspiring: complex passagework, including many double octaves, is dispatched with uncanny evenness, and his judicious use of the sustain pedal allows us to hear every melismatic flourish with sterling clarity. Impressive too is how Moog and Milton relish Brahms’ many rhythmic complexities, presented with commendable precision (sample the passage beginning at 6’15” in the first movement).
The players of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie prove to be sensitive accompanists, with good balance within each section and characterful solo playing. The horns are particularly noteworthy, throughout the concerto, as is the first bassoon, though at times the solo proves difficult to hear. Both soloist and orchestra capture the music’s many shifting moods, though there is a momentary disappointment at around 12’30,” where the playful humor of Brahms’ writing is made to sound overly stern. But it is a small issue in the face of such impressive playing, and Moog and the orchestra ensure the coda has an overwhelming cumulative power.
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The second movement opens with rapt introspection, Milton taking great care over voicing – listen to the velvety warmth of bassoon and horn mixed with the strings. Moog’s initial entrance at 1’38” is truly dolce, his sensitive touch making the piano sing. At 2’53” I found Moog’s playing too confident, whereas Zimerman plays this passage finds a delicate fragility. Similarly, while the interplay between piano and orchestra at 5’34” is played beautifully, Zimermann, Freire, and Hough (Wigglesworth/Hyperion) all find greater poetry. At 9’56” the woodwind chorale accompanied by the pianos delicately cascading 32nd-note runs is simply gorgeous, creating an atmosphere of profound contemplation to end the movement.
The final movement returns to the driving momentum and extrovert virtuosity of the first. Moog makes even the most difficult passages sound deceptively easy, played with both brio and elegance. At 5’07” the orchestra take center stage, playing this densely chromatic and polyphonic music with nice unanimity and clarity. Pianist and orchestra ensure there is a continual build-up of energy throughout the movement, that final explored in a burst of energy that makes for an explosive and thrilling ending. Overall, I find Moog’s and co. approach much more convincing in this Concerto than in their earlier effort, more aligned to this earlier piece’s urgency and youthful vigour.
The “Four Pieces”, Op. 119 takes us to a more intimate sound world: the first ‘Intermezzo’ features subtly varied colors between hands, and the mood is achingly resigned. The next two pieces feature quicksilver shifts in dynamics and mood, though in the third piece there is a blithe humor that is only partially realized in Moog’s performance. In the final ‘Rhapsodie,’ Moog’s technical prowess is impressive, yet turn to Hough (Hyperion) in his recent recording of these pieces to hear an altogether greater range of color (and the blithe humor of the third piece fully realized).
The recorded sound is brilliant, with a natural balance between piano and orchestra. The orchestral sound image seems to come from the performers rather than the control room, though more naturally than the earlier recording of the second Piano Concerto, which had the mics too close to some sections. Even the loudest moments bloom without ever becoming congested. The liner notes are informative but short, and 62 minutes feels a bit stingy – more solo pieces would be welcome. Nevertheless, Moog is an exceptional artist and this new performance is commendable. Hearing it has certainly convinced me to investigate some of his earlier releases and look forward to his future efforts.
Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1, Four Pieces Op. 119
Jospeh Moog – Piano
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie
Nicholas Milton – Conductor
Onyx, CD 421
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