Garrick Ohlsson on Brahms’s Complete Piano Music

Most pianists will learn one Brahms piece. Some pianists will learn a whole Brahms Opus. Garrick Ohlsson will learn every piece Brahms ever wrote, and he’ll perform them all from memory in under a week.

Join Garrick Ohlsson for a dive into Brahms’s solo piano music. Having recently performed the cycle at Tanglewood, the composers’ Intermezzi, Rhapsodies, Sonatas, and Variations are all fresh in his mind – and his fingers. Tune in live, join the chat, and submit your questions for Garrick. Hosted by Ben Laude.

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[picksalot]

"Time in music is not real time, it's psychological time." Thank you for that deep insight.

[eddydelrio]

I just love how GO speaks in such an approachable and honest manner, seemingly associating himself with all of us strugglers, despite being an absolute towering master! Thank you for your generosity Sir.

[jwilliams]

That Tonebase live with Garrick Ohlsson was FANTASTIC!!!!

[peter.]

This was a truly magical livestream. Thanks to all involved!

[mumps]

Garrick Ohlsson has been one of my favorite pianists since I bought his 2-LP Angel recording of the complete Chopin polonaises back in the 70s. What a master -- and what a genuinely nice guy!

[eddydelrio]

I heard Mr. Ohlsson perform Brahms' Piano Concerto no 2 in San Antonio. Absolutely Sublime. His Chopin Nocturne encore, reduced me to tears.

[DeanHorak]

Currently working on Brahms Intermezzo in A (Op 118 No 2). Beautiful piece.

[benjaminsagan]

I am so thankful to Mr. Ohlsson for his participation on this platform. By a strange coincidence, I happened to sit in on a rehearsal where he was playing the Brahms d-minor Concerto in roughly 1994 -- and then I saw the performance later that week through a completely independent channel (I was just a very geeky kid at the time, so in retrospect, I have no idea how any of this transpired). I remember his demeanor in the rehearsal being courteous but confident, and his knowledge of the score plumbing unimagined depths (though I had never heard the piece before, so take that with a mine of salt).

At the time, I had no frame of reference, so I didn't consider any of his behavior remarkable. Later on, however, I would discover (to my occasional horror) just how often courtesy is dispensed with, and that soloists' depth of understanding is extraordinarily variable.

How lovely it is to see that Ohlsson hasn't changed. If anything, he's just grown more generous with his expertise.

[darrellverse]

Brahms is my absolute favorite! Perhaps one of the most underplayed composer in competitions and recitals. I hope this interview will inspire more people to enjoy Brahms' music.

[christophersurnname]

This is such a good video. One of the best on the internet I swear.

[stefanbernhard]

Great to see Ohlsson weigh in on all things Brahms. Valuable insight as usual! 👌

[gregoryames]

Garrick's comment: "...depending which authentic edition you use..." made me laugh uproariously.

[sebastianstern]

One of the few coherent musicians. Excellent!

[LEOCYTWOMBLY]

Garrick Ohlsson was such a revelation live.

[itsjudystube]

It’s lovely to hear music I learned as a 19 year old used to illustrate this discussion

[scottweaverphotovideo]

In high school I happened to hear on the radio (back when there were classical music stations) the d minor concerto for the first time. I had no idea what to expect. That opening minute left me very cold. Arctic trills for a theme. So stark I honestly didn't know what to make of it. A few years later it became one of my favorites, in the hands of Rubenstein.

[truBador]

It's great to hear a great pianist talk shop.

[cadriver]

Crazy that we’re hanging out in the living room of one of the great pianists.

[Radiatoron]

I thoroughly enjoyed this--Garrick Ohlsson is a wonderfully engaging speaker! I wish I could afford Tonebase membership--or YouTube Premium membership for that matter (sigh!)--but I can't, so I really appreciate these "freebies" from Tonebase. Thank you very much for making it available here for free!

[scottweaverphotovideo]

My favorite Brahms piano works are the first concerto, the Handel Variations, and the piano quintet.