Piano Concerto #1 by Johannes Brahms (1858) - One of the Single Greatest Pieces of Music Ever Written (Yes, This Too)

[reedm]

If I were forced to pick one desert-island piece of piano music - perhaps *any* piece of music - the Piano Concerto #2 in B-Flat Major, Opus 83, by Johannes Brahms, would be under serious consideration - I could spend the rest of my life studying just this one piece, and still not plumb its immense depths.

It is, simply put, one of the greatest pieces of music ever written - one of the greatest works of art produced in the history of mankind.

B2, as I affectionately call it, is a piece of such profundity that I cannot adequately convey it using the clumsy written word; instead, I will direct you to one particularly great recording. At around 50 minutes in length, it is no small feat to get through, but each of the four movements is its own masterpiece, and listening to parts of it is better than never having heard it at all.

I cannot imagine what could have possessed a human being to think of something this epic in scope - the profound encapsulation of musical heroism, written down with pen and paper. It is the equivalent of any Beethoven Symphony or Sonata, or of any painting by da Vinci, or of any play by Shakespeare.

We can start right here with my choice for the greatest pianist who ever lived: Sviatislav Richter. It's in five parts on YouTube, so you'll need to listen to all five to hear the entire piece. You can spend as much time listening to this piece as you would reading War and Peace, and your time will be equally well-spent here:

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I thoroughly enjoyed that wonderful performance.

If you enjoy Brahms and challenging piano parts, watch this; 

Brahms - Piano Concerto #1 in D-Minor (Op 15) played by Hélène Grimaud