Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

This Achúcarro record has the following music:

1. Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

2. Brahms Intermezzo No. 1 (Three Intermezzi Op. 117)

3. Brahms Intermezzo No. 2 (Three Intermezzi Op. 117)

4. Brahms Intermezzo No. 3 (Three Intermezzi Op. 117)

5. Chopin Prelude No. 15

6. Chopin Prelude No. 16

7. Scriabin No. 1 Prelude  (Op. 9 for Left Hand)

8. Scriabin No. 2 Nocturne  (Op. 9 for Left Hand)

9. Albéniz Suite Iberia Op. 47 Book 1 No. 2 El Puerto 

Colin Davis conducts the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with  the London Symphony Orchestra at Jerwood Hall in 2009 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Achúcarro's debut with the LSO. The recital pieces were recorded in the Prado museum. Directed for TV by Robin Lough. Released  2010, disc has 5.1 PCM sound. Grade: C

What we have here are two studio recordings made by an artist who is fast approaching 80. It's heart-warming to see him get through it. Most anyone would kill to be able to play as well as  Achúcarro. But in my humble opinion, Achúcarro's best is not competitive with recordings from leading pianists today.

I originally graded this title "D" because it smacks so pungently of being a trophy or vanity project. My friends say Opus Arte and Colin Davis would not taint their brands this way. But sometimes even the pros get off track. Here are the things that still bother me: the lack of a live audience, the three days it took to shoot the Brahms Concerto No. 2 (how many takes?), the sponsorship of Fundación BBVA in promoting the home town boy, the narcissistic cover photo, the "this-is-your-life" center spread in the keep box booklet, the fatuously self-serving so-called "documentary" that gabbles up 43 minutes of the disc, and the discounted price now on this title in the market place. I suggest there's nothing wrong with a vanity  project---it's just that if the motivation is to honour someone (especially yourself) with a publication, aren't you supposed to give it away rather than try to sell it?

Now on the other hand,  a lot of people seem to like this title. Scott Cantrell praised it in the Dallas Morning News and International Record Review gave it an "IRR Outstanding" award. I will also praise Achúcarro for showing us how effective it can be to to a studio recording under a dress code. Ordinarily, musicians at a studio recording session wear jeans, tee shirts, hair-rollers, filp-flops, etc. But for this recording,  everyone wore (I guess for all three days) a crisp black open-throat shirt and matching bottoms. The decommissioned, renovated church was was startlingly pretty as lit for the sessions and no trash was or distracting gear was allowed. The result was warm, pleasing, respectful, and professional. I've never seen a recording session like this before: maybe Achúcarro is leading us in an  auspicious direction with this video.

I would not extend this praise, however, to the recital segment of this recording. For sure,  Achúcarro has pull. He got permission to play at the Prado directly in front of three of the most famous Spanish paintings: the Goya "The Shooting of May 3rd," the "Second of May 1808" (or "Charge of the Mamelukes"), and "Ferdinand VII in his Robes of State." Come to think of  it, "The Shooting of May 3rd" is one of the most important paintings ever done by anyone because it is often considered to be the first modern painting. So during the entire recital I kept praying, "Oh, please yet us see these painting in all their glory and in detail in high-definition images!" No dice. All we get are out-of-focus fragments while Achúcarro diddles with encores. I condemn Achúcarro and the Prado for this sacrilege. But the Prado can be redeemed if they will just allow someone to make a HDVD called "Treasures of the Prado" so everyone in the world can see their Goyas in high-def. And Achúcarro can be redeemed if he will help raise funds to make a Prado documentary.