brahms symphonies

Yes.

I also have [official] sets from Boult [1954], Klemperer [1957], Walter 1959/60], and Felix von Weingartner [1938-40 recordings].

All great, and your choice sits nicely among such august company, IMHO

ATB from George

I've owned this set twice. I first bought it about three years ago but didn't really get on with it and gave it away (though it's worth noting that the person to whom I gave it, and a number of other people rave about it).

The recent Building a Library feature on Radio 3 which covered the 3rd symphony gave its recommendation to this and sounded much better than I remembered. Given MDT had the set for £20 I though I'd give it another go. The results have been mixed.

The playing is excellent, and I do think the third is pretty good. Elsewhere though, second and fourth symphonies particularly and many of the minor works, I do find it rather dull.

Personally I find Mackerras with the SCO more to my taste (though the smaller orchestra forces, more in keeping with one of the orchestra's Brahms worked with, lend it something very interesting, aren't for everyone). He conducted a cycle with the Philharmonia a couple of years ago and the concert I heard was stunning, sadly nobody seems to have had the sense to tape it.

I think Jochum (also with the BPO, though in mono, or stereo with the LPO, though EMI have stupidly deleted the set) is also more dramatic. From Furtwangler's many live performances there are also some gems - there's a slow first symphony in particular that has a magic beyond anything in the Abbado set.

Even if one wants a more laid back and lyrical approach, I think Brahms is better served elsewhere - in particular Bruno Walter's recordings (and his early 50s cycle with the NYPO has just received a very impressive reissue on United Archives).

Out of interest, have you heard Gardiner's cycle. The first got a rave write out in the Gramophone and on CD review but the exerts I have heard were pretty dire.

regards, Tam

i have the jochum/berlin set and love it.
have levine/chicago on lp which is also very nice.

but i wonder why this abbado/berlin set is $114???

i didn't know gardiner did big romantic works.

i'll order the mackerras - looking for a fresh perspective.

after 40 years of listening to these, i need to freshen my ears with a different perspective.

thanks for the recommendation :-)

tonight i discovered that the orchestra that first played Brahms fourth symphony had only 49 players. Brahms himself argued against increasing the size of the string section.

i had always assumed he used big orchestras.

it's been a good day for music on this end :-)

If you do get the Mackerras complete set (rather than the individual discs, which probably work out cheaper) you get the bonus of a 30 minute interview with him in which he talks about some of these issues.

As you note the fourth symphony received its premiere with the Meiningen Court Orchestra of 49 players. Similarly the first was premiered in Karlsruhe (also 49). On the other had, for the second he was in Hamburg with the Philharmonische Gesellschaft of 113 players. The third was premiered with the VPO, though I am unable to find a not of exactly how many players (the booklet for the Mackerras CDs indicate it would have been around a hundred).

So, then, there is a strong argument for doing it both ways and claiming it historically informed. But then a little variety never hurt anything.

regards, Tam

the abbado/berlin set arrived. i expect to have the Mackerras set by the 20th. that gives me three weeks to dig into the brahms 1st on the abbado set before the Mackerras arrives.

just gave the first a listen. the recording and the orchestra are in absolute top form. some of his tempos strike me as peculiar. need to scour the score for brahms' directives.

my brahms library is thin. i would like to find three different types of books and hope the forum can help :

1 - a biography
2 - a book of musical analysis that won't kill me, just "illuminate" the music
3 - a book on performance practice specifically on brahms

can anyone help?

I've found this very interesting, illuminating and enjoyable over the past couple of years -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Master-Musician-Malcolm-...d=1225528472&sr=1-29

Bit expensive, but you should be able to get it from a library. Excellent biographical info plus scholarly insights into the music. A model of its kind.

EW