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Vera Breheda, pianoBrahms: Piano Pieces, Op. 76 - Handel Variations, Op. 24 |
"This is playing that rewards repeated listening."
- Eight Piano Pieces. Op. 76 - (1878)
- 1. Capriccio in F# minor 3:07
- 2. Capriccio in B minor 2:59
- 3. Intermezzo in Ab major 2:25
- 4. Intermezzo in Bb major 2:35
- 5. Capriccio in C# minor 2:57
- 6. Intermezzo in Ab major 3:48
- 7. Intermezzo in A minor 3:46
- 8. Capriccio in C major 3:20
- 9-29. Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, Op. 24 - (1862) 28:02
Reviews:
Brahms is not an easy composer to play correctly, and there are too many fine competing recordings for the merely decent ones to survive. Fortunately, these sweeping, highly romantic performances reveal an artist with a strong technique, glowing tone, and the ability to hold our interest. Each of the capriccios and intermezzos is carefully and lovingly sculpted. Listen to the beautifully phrased and molded contours of the Intermezzo in B-flat and the ebb and flow of the Capriccio in C. This is playing that rewards repeated listening.There is no question about Breheda's ability to bring off this [Handel Variations] grand work. Her pedaling is secure and never blurs the music's textures.
—Becker - American Record Guide
Vera Breheda's recording of the 8 Piano Pieces Op. 76 conveys all their romance and tenderness, from the essentially intimate pieces which the composer calls "intermezzi", to the fiery and passionate ones to which he gives the deceptive title "Caprices". These last have all the breathtaking sweep and virtuosity one could desire without becoming mere virtuoso display. The subtleties of Brahms' thought are clothed in the most enchanting sounds, from dreamy repose the utmost fervour and agitation... The recorded sound is warm and spacious. The earlier Handel Variations round out the disc. These were apparently taken from a live performance and although the sound is less pristine, Breheda's performance is no less convincing, both emotionally and intellectually. This is a "must have" disc for all Brahms-lovers.
--Jerry Kuderna, Berkeley
Biography
Vera Breheda, born in Hamburg, Germany of Ukrainian parents, came to the U.S. at age three. Her early training was at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied on a full scholarship with Alma Harrington and Adolf Baller. At age 14, she made her debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. She continued her studies with Martin Canin at SUNY Stony Brook, and Leonard Shure in Boston and in 1983 gave her New York recital debut at Carnegie Recital Hall (Weill Recital Hall)
Performing music of many styles, from Baroque to 21st Century, Vera Breheda's concertizing has taken her from San Francisco, to New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, as well as to Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Russia. She has appeared as soloist with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Oakland Symphony, the Thalia Orchestra in Seattle, the Kensington Symphony, and the Diablo Valley Philharmonic.
Breheda has also been a participant in the music festivals at Tanglewood, Aspen, Banff, Florida West Coast, and the Moscow Conservatory of Music. At Banff, she was a guest artist with the Fine Arts Quartet. Locally, her Bay Area solo, duo piano (Breheda Kuderna Duo), and chamber recitals have been in Hertz Hall, Julia Morgan Theater, Trinity Chapel, Old First Church, St. Patrick's Church and Herbst Theater
A New York Times review of her Carnegie Recital Hall recital called her "a pianist who seems totally engaged in the music she plays".