Two Legendary Concerts

The exceptional pianist Géza Anda and the legendary conductor Karl Böhm met a total of three times: in 1956 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, in September 1963 in Lucerne with the Philharmonia Orchestra London and Brahms' Piano Concerto in D minor - and in 1974 at the Salzburg Festival with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18. The live recordings of these last two meetings are now available on cd for the first time. According to music author and Anda specialist Wolfgang Rathert in the album booklet, it is precisely in the concert recordings that Géza Anda's unmistakable artistry has manifested itself even more than in Anda's numerous studio recordings, many of which still have reference value today: for although Anda committed himself to an interpretative aesthetics of textual fidelity, it was always his goal to uncover the 'inner life of the work', which could only succeed in the unique, unrepeatable act of re-creation: and thus he saw it as the greatest challenge for the artist to maintain a balance between control and spontaneity - which, when successful, could become a truly musical moment of glory for both performers and listeners. And this is precisely what we could experience in the Lucerne interpretation of Brahms: rarely has the agitation of the D minor concerto, which drives the pianist to the limit in a relentless struggle between piano and orchestra, been realized in such an impressive manner and with such rousing energy. More than ten years later, Anda and Böhm stood together on stage again. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 would be Anda's last performance in Salzburg: in 1975 he was diagnosed with cancer and he died that summer. Anda's mature Mozart playing is carefully phrased and transparent, but no longer propelling forward airily as in the 1950s, instead it shows a thoughtful contemplation that almost seems like a longing to hold on to the exquisite beauty of this music.