Written by a Brahms that was no longer doubting himself, but was at the height of his powers. In a letter to Clara Schumann he wrote about a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo, but it actually is a giant concerto. It being in four parts was not the only resemblance to a symphony. In fact, the whole thing balances the virtuosity of a concerto with the big sound of a symphony.
The premiere was in 1881 in Budapest, played by the composer himself at the piano. It was a roaring success, and is considered central in the genre ever since. This is Richter’s recording from 1969, with the Orchestre de Paris. The orchestra was founded just two years before, headed by Lorin Maazel.