Another of the great performances of this concerto, Gy&#246rgy Szell's accompaniments are as pointed and urgent as ever, while Sir Clifford Michael Curzon's contribution is compellingly aristocratic. Of all the great piano concertos, this one is the hardest to do well. It is very long, very difficult, yet totally lacking in the kind of virtuoso fireworks that are the concert pianist's bread and butter. More to the point, the opening theme of the first movement, which sounds splendidly angry played by the orchestra, sounds like some silly, bar-room honky-tonk on the piano. Of course, Brahms actually played piano in bars along the Hamburg docks for years, so maybe something rubbed off...? Anyway, suffice it say that it's not easy music, and these guys really know what they're doing. --David Hurwitz