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Title: A recording that should never have been made
Review: This Brahms First Cto. came out in on LP in 1976, when the beloved Rubinstein turned 89. He explained in his program note that it was an immense effort to attempt the work, considering his age and near blindness (macular degeneration had blocked out the keyboard except for the extreme upper and lower notes). He should have been talked out of making such an effort. This cautious, often slow reading may get the notes in, but at too high a cost. Mehta tiptoes and tries to cushion the most difficult parts, to no avail. In addition, the Israel Phil. sounds mediocre, especially in the string body, and one only has to hear the opening orchestral part to be discouraged: Mehta vacillates between slackness and aggressive punches. Decca's close miking exposes the piano cruelly. There's some stylish phrasing; even so, this one is a definite miss.
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