[DeusEx]

Aren't we all somber and macabre..

 

[vcoheda]

thanks for the recommendations. will check them out. the requiem is one of my favorites.

 

[scottder]

Anyone checked out the new Rattle Brahms set? Been a while, and I have a hit or miss relationship with Rattle.

Scott

 

[DavidNY]

Attended Rattle and the BPO performing Brahms 1st Symphony last night at Carnegie Hall. Live music is always just so amazing. The sound of the BPO is so impressively smooth, 130 musicians acting as one, and the power of the sound they can create is quite exhilarating. I now must purchase the CD. Looking forward to the 3rd and 4th on Friday evening.

 

[fjf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidNY /img/forum/go_quote.gif Attended Rattle and the BPO performing Brahms 1st Symphony last night at Carnegie Hall. Live music is always just so amazing. The sound of the BPO is so impressively smooth, 130 musicians acting as one, and the power of the sound they can create is quite exhilarating. I now must purchase the CD. Looking forward to the 3rd and 4th on Friday evening.

I...ENVY...you...

 

[scompton]

You don't have any symphonies near you? Even lesser symphonies than the BPO are enjoyable to watch.

 

[mbhaub]

Yes indeed they are. And Rattle is -- in my opinion -- one of the most over-rated conductors out there. If there was an attraction, it's the Berlin Philharmonic. But why, oh why, do these great orchestras go on tour and play Brahms? Like it's never played by anyone! Lorin Maazel did the same thing with the Bavarian orchestra a few years ago -- another slog through the Brahms symphonies. Sure, they're great -- but there's a lot of other music that's more interesting. I was fortunate to hear the BPO with von Karajan doing Richard Strauss on tour. Now that was a great program!

 

[pekingduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone checked out the new Rattle Brahms set? Been a while, and I have a hit or miss relationship with Rattle. Scott

I bought the set a while ago. Symphonies 1 and 3 are pretty good and the 4 is OK (I prefer the Kleiber/VPO version).

I don't like his Beethoven's but this one is fine.

I am hoping to get my hands on Klemperer's EMI set soon.

 

[fjf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif You don't have any symphonies near you? Even lesser symphonies than the BPO are enjoyable to watch.

Yes I listen to our local SO whenever I can and I enjoy it. But being able to go on a friday evening to see the BPO is a privilege!

 

[Lex2]

Rattle's interpretation of Brahms is idiosyncratic to say the least. It's a great recording with flawless playing by the BPO, but you may or may not like his unpredictable tempo shifts. It's difficult to do a good 4th without sounding anemic and his 4th is not the best I've heard. I prefer Karajan's cycle.

 

[LevA]

hey everyone,

just want to give heads up to brahms fans that the jochum emi set that is almost universally recommended is on amazon new for $25. As a big fan of Brahms, I've been trying to get this set for a while but it's been impossible to find at a reasonable price, which new set usually goes for $75 ~ $90.

Amazon.com: Used and New: Brahms: Symphony Nos.1-3/Tragic Overture,Op.81/Academic Festival Overture,Op.80

 

[unclejr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not a huge fan of Rattle, but any Brahms by Berlin is usually good. Any good versions of the Double Concerto?

I saw Janine Jansen and Alisa Weilerstein perform the Double with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and Hans Graf earlier this year. Amazing performances.

My favorite recorded performance right now is Julia Fischer and Daniel Muller-Schott. Specifically their choices of tempi and bowing throughout are vibrant and convey the sense of the piece better than other versions I've heard. I also like Vadim Repin/Truls Mork's version. I do not like Anne Sophie Mutter's version. If I recall correctly, among many minor things, they take the Adagio too fast and the third movement too non troppo (heh).

Joshua Bell performed the violin concerto a couple of weeks ago at the BSO. The concert reports are linked on that page, if anyone's interested. In short, I really loved his Adagio as well as his cadenza in the first movement.

My favorite recorded version right now is Hilary Hahn's, along with Heifetz's with the Chicago Symphony and Fritz Reiner.

 

[Quinto]

I love Bernstein's version of the 1st (and other 3) Brahms symphony

You might want to consider the 4 hand piano version, which gives IMO a very interesting insight in structure and instrumentation

 

[Lex2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclejr /img/forum/go_quote.gif Joshua Bell performed the violin concerto a couple of weeks ago at the BSO. The concert reports are linked on that page, if anyone's interested. In short, I really loved his Adagio as well as his cadenza in the first movement. My favorite recorded version right now is Hilary Hahn's, along with Heifetz's with the Chicago Symphony and Fritz Reiner.

I have both recordings (Hahn and Heifeitz), and indeed they are very good. Also saw Joshua Bell performing the work which I enjoyed tremendously. I never really cared for any of his recordings, but his live performances are outstanding. Hahn has matured well over the years and I thought her Bach Concerto recordings were one of the best classical albums that have come out in the past decade.

Anne Sophie Mutter seems to be on a downward spiral; some of her more recent recordings (e.g. Tchaikovsky / Korngold) were (to me at least) just terrible. She takes too many liberties with the score with the end result sounding too affected.

 

[DavidMahler]

What's the general consensus around here about Brahms greatest symphony? I vote for 4