Brahms: Symphony no. 1; Song of the Fates

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Claudio Abbado's partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic has produced virtually nothing of interest on disc, but his Brahms is an exception. These are very sensitive performances, more lyrical than most, but never lacking in energy or intensity. The orchestra sounds better than it did playing this music for Herbert von Karajan, and the coupling is both unusual and very well done. A pleasant surprise in what has been in general a very disappointing legacy. --David Hurwitz

Brahms: Symphony no. 1; Song of the Fates, Music, Johannes Brahms, Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker Chor, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Romantic Symphony, Secular Choral Music with Orchestra, Symphonic

Average customer rating:

Far from being as good as Karajan

High-Impact Brahms. Could Be The Best Digital Rendition Of This Great Work!

Abbado's Brahms needs to get on a treadmill

furtwangler of our time

The best of Abbado's Brahms

Brahms: Symphony no. 1; Song of the Fates

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms: Symphonie No. 4; Haydn-Variationen; Nänie

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

Mahler: Symphony No. 3

ASIN: B00000AFRE
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68: 1. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68: 2. Andante sostenuto
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68: 3. Un poco Allegretto e grazioso
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68: 4. Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
Symphonie No. 1: Maestoso

Amazon.com

Claudio Abbado's partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic has produced virtually nothing of interest on disc, but his Brahms is an exception. These are very sensitive performances, more lyrical than most, but never lacking in energy or intensity. The orchestra sounds better than it did playing this music for Herbert von Karajan, and the coupling is both unusual and very well done. A pleasant surprise in what has been in general a very disappointing legacy. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Far from being as good as Karajan.......2006-10-19

I doubt that David Hurwitz really likes this big-boned but fairly soft Brahms First from Berlin. He just wants a stick to beat Karajan with. Abbado's Brahms is extremely well played--one notices from the opening bars that orhestral balances are exceptional. It's hard to imagine an orchestra that can produce such a complete sound in Brhams, without the slightest weakness from top to bottom.

But this excellence in execution is in service of a reading that has no ideas and not even a memorable contour. After a strong opening the first movement settles into cheery lyricism. A somnolent slow movement follows, bereft of rhythmic bite--it sags around the edges before we get eight bars in. To compare such a tepid approach with Toscanini, Karajan, Furtwangler, Bruno Walter in New York, Celibidache, Haitink in his first cycle from Amsterdam, or Bernstein in his second cycle from Vienna is very unpersuasive.

The Scherzo is light and rhythmically fresh,though--it's the best thing here, and I notice that's true of the other symphonies under Abbado as well. Given how things were proceeding, I didn't have much hope that the finale would begin with the needed mystery and anticipaiton. Surprise, it does. But then the air goes out of the tires, and Abbado is back to his user-friendly ways. Gorgeous sounds but no starch. The main Allegro gains more energy, thank goodness, but it's too little too late. Gesang der Parzen is a very unusual filler, but I am a non-fan of Brahms the patriot, so Abbado's stirring reading didn't compensate for the weakness of the main event.

High-Impact Brahms. Could Be The Best Digital Rendition Of This Great Work! .......2006-03-29

This is certainly a tradional and massive approach to Brahms. Some of the reviewers below might have been looking for more clarity and inner details that recent Brahms conductors like Charles Mackerras or Marin Alsop dared to illuminate. Clearly Claudio Abbado goes for the big picture in this performance, from the thunderous opening to the heaven storming conclusion, his approach works wonders. It is a similar interpretation to Karajan's famous early 1960's performance. Abbado moves things along at a faster pace in the finale than does Karajan, other than that their views are sympathetic to one another. I would also put Klemperer up there too.

Certainly if you are a fan of Brahms, you should buy this CD on which Abbado also gives a stunning performance of Song of the Fates, a completely thrilling but neglectic Brahms choral piece. Just listen to the opening of the work, it's down right mean and dramatic!

The sound is terrific, lush and warm, basically perfect for Brahms. I think this Brahms cycle is possibly the best thing Abbado accomplished with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Abbado's Brahms needs to get on a treadmill.......2005-10-10

I'm befuddled that people slam Karajan for his overly-thick textures and homogenized sound, and then praise *this* recording, which sounds like the 101 String play Brahms. Along with the 101 Brass, the 101 Winds and the 101 Percussion. All of it recorded in the biggest echo-chamber this side of the men's room at Pennsylvania Station. These are thick, gloppy performances in which little nuance is possible (or at least audible) and the sound echoes through the stops and silences. I can sympathize with a desire for a big, epic approach to this work, but here the granite turns to slog. There's also little in the way of contrasting textures. Everything sounds big and *wet* (never thought I'd describe a recording as wet, but it fits), like a shaggy dog that needs to shake itself off. The violas, for example, are virtually inaudible throughout, as the higher, brighter, violins drown them out in what sounds to me like a totally synthetic acoustical environment. Bass is thick and boomy, even when I turn my controls way down. It's impossible to hear different colors from the bowings under these conditions. Forget balances. The BPO has no identity, other than "fat." This is Brahms that needs Jenny Craig.

For some dramatic Brahms 1sts, I recommend Furtwangler/Hamburg 1951 on Music & Arts, Klemperer 1958 on EMI, Toscanini 193(8?), Walter (late 50s, Sony), and even Karajan's mid 60s account on DG. Just off the top of my head, they all easily surpass this. I had very high hopes for this disc, but I still haven't heard an Abbado recording with the Philharmonic that rocks my world--although oddly, his collaborations during the same period with the Chamber Orcehstra of Europe are often very fine. As Geoffrey Rush would say, "It's a mystery."

furtwangler of our time.......2005-08-06

this is simply the best recording of this work i have ever heard,and i have really heard a lot of them!abbado is in deed a worthy succesor of his idol,great wilhelm furtwangler.abbados brahms is not likelly ever to be surpassed.i recommend this recording,and those of other brahms orchestral works with greatest conviction.

The best of Abbado's Brahms.......2003-03-16

I've never been a fan of Karajan's Brahms, so it's a great thrill to have another conductor take a crack at this music with the great Berlin Philharmonic. Abbado delivers a uniquely polished but powerful performance. Karajan never sounded as fresh and exciting as Abbado does here, not even in his supposedly legendary 1964 reording. This is the highlight of Abbado's otherwise over-rated set -- only the 4th offers anything close to this in terms of sheer beauty and magnificence. Walter is also good and better value for money ( would it have killed DG to add one more piece on this disc?) And where is Levine's mad and intense reading with the Chicago Symphony on RCA? So much dreck on the shelves while classics are languishing in recording limbo. So Abbado and Walter will do the heavy lifting for now. If you can afford top dollar, then go for the Abbado.

Average customer rating:

A Great Brahmsian's Last Commercial Recordings of the Works

Brahms: The Four Symphonies

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003EYJ
Release Date: 1990-05-25

Tracks:

Sym No.1 in c, Op.68: Un Poco Sostenuto/Allegro - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.1 in c, Op.68: Andante Sostenuto - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.1 in c, Op.68: Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.1 in c, Op.68: Adagio/Piu Andante/Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Academic Festival Ov, Op.80 - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Hungarian Dances: No.1 in g - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Hungarian Dances: No.17 in f# - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Hungarian Dances: No.20 in e - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Hungarian Dances: - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO

Tracks:

Sym No.2 in D, Op.73: Allegro Non Troppo - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.2 in D, Op.73: Adagio Non Troppo - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.2 in D, Op.73: Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.2 in D, Op.73: Allegro Con Spirito - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Chorale St. Antoni: Andante - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var I: Poco Piu Animato - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var II: Piu Vivace - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var III: Con Moto - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var IV: Andante Con Moto - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var V: Vivace - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var VI: Vivace - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var VII: Grazioso - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Var VIII: Presto Non Troppo - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Vars On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Finale: Andante - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Tragic Ov, Op.81 - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini

Tracks:

Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: Allegro Con Brio - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: Andante - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: Poco Allegretto - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: Allegro - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
Con in a, Op.102: Allegro - Mischa Mischakoff/Frank Miller
Con in a, Op.102: Andante - Mischa Mischakoff/Frank Miller
Con in a, Op.102 in a: Vivace Non Troppo - Mischa Mischakoff/Frank Miller

Tracks:

Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: Allegro Non Troppo - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: Andante Moderato - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: Allegro Giocoso - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: Allegro Energico E Passionata - Arturo Toscanini/NBC SO
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Rede, Madchen, Allzu Liebes - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Am Gesteine Rauscht Die Flut - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: O Die Frauen - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Wie Des Abends Schone Rote - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Die Grune Hopfenranke - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Ein Kleiner, Hubscher Vogel - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Wohl Schon Bewandt War Es - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Wenn So Lind Dein Auge Mir - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Am Donaustrande - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: O Wie Sanft Die Quelle - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Nein, Es Ist Nicht Auszukommen - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Schlosser Auf - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Vogelein Durchrauscht Die Luft - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Sieh, Wie Ist Die Welle Klar - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Nachtigall, Sie Singt So Schon - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Ein Dunkeler Schacht Ist Liebe - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Nicht Wandle, Mein Licht - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52: Es Bebt Das Gestrauche - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Walter Preston/Arthur Balsam/Joseph Kahn
Song Of The Fates, Op.89 - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw

Customer Reviews:

A Great Brahmsian's Last Commercial Recordings of the Works.......1998-10-19

Though Arturo Toscanini was an Italian, with a strong commitment to the opera and musical history of his native land, in countries with a German cultural heritage, he became respected as an authentic interpreter of Brahms (as an artistic inheritor of the style of a Brahms confidante, the German conductor Steinbach.)

The NBC Symphony recordings included in this set are, in sum, in the finest possible sound transfers they have ever received (genuine mono, with crisp clarity and fine presence), better than any of the many previous releases dating back to the days of early 45 rpm and LP records. The performances are strong, and are characteristic of Toscanini's best late efforts to commit the composer's works to disk, though in a few cases, actual live radio broadcasts or concert performances offer greater relaxation and lyricism than these very intense readings.

Symphonies:

The First Symphony, recorded Nov. 6, 1951, is a very famous performance which by now must have sold in the millions of copies. It is slower and more grave than the intense live broadcast of 1943, in very wiry and distorted sound on Music & Arts set No. CD-995. I slightly prefer the 1941 Toscanini 78-rpm recording contained in Vol. 26 of the BMG Toscanini Collection (60277-2-RG) but the fidelity of those old shellac disks is not nearly as fine as the 30 ips high quality taped source for this '51 performance. Toscanini played the piece live on television about the same time, and the video transfer of the old kinescope film is available from BMG home video: the live performance is a bit "warmer".

The Second Symphony was taken down on tape at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 11, 1952, and has warm sound to complement the emotionally-rich reading.

The Third Symphony was recorded on Nov. 4, 1952: Toscanini seemed very tense, and -- though he used slow, broad tempi -- the reading is just not consistent or flowing. The live concert performance at Carnegie Hall, broadcast on Nov. 1, '51, was amazingly better. In this particular symphony, one might want to investigate the 1943 Toscanini live edition (in vastly inferior sound) in the Music & Arts set mentioned above.

The Fourth Symphony was given a very fine, powerful, and somewhat austere reading, taken down in a recording session at Carnegie on Dec. 3, 1951. The live broadcast was also similar: Toscanini offered us a very sober, serious, and intense view of this late Brahms piece, accenting the academic nature of the construction of the music, and downplaying the "autumnal" qualities.

The old 1935 BBC broadcast by Toscanini of this work is an utterly different presentation, with far greater emotional expression.

The Double Concerto: despite its relatively early date of Nov. 13, 1948, this broadcast from Studio 8H is in fine, clear sound, with perfect presence and no surface noise. The early LP issues were grotesquely thin and wiry, but not this CD (the video of the simulcast on NBC TV also has fine sound, too.) Mischa Mischakoff and Frank Miller are dedicated though self-effacing solo performers, and the Maestro moves the music along at an unsentimental dramatic clip.

The Song of the Fates: this very rarely played choral work of Brahms is full of drama and melody, and was well sung by the Robert Shaw Chorale. Again, as in the Double Concerto, the sound is very clear and transparent, considering the early date of Nov. 27, 1948, and is better than the previous LP issue and prior CD releases.

The Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52: from the same live broadcast as the Double Concerto, these waltzes are performed by a small chorus with Arthur Balsam and Joseph Kahn as pianists, Toscanini conducting with great involvement, passion, and emotion (as one can see in the BMG home video transfer of the telecast.) The performance is as far from a ripe, romantic "Viennese" approach as could be imagined, so some will hate it (but others might love it, as I do!)

The Hungarian Dances: Nos. 1, 17, 20, and 21 are played in the orchestrations of Brahms and Dvorak, and recorded in super high fidelity sound on tape at Carnegie Hal on February 17, 1953: here is the frisson of the Hungarian element, emphasizing the paprika and not the Central-European schmaltz. Bracing!

The Tragic Overture is a live performance from one of the finest of the Maestro's last season of broadcasts, on Nov. 22, 1953 in Carnegie Hall: in very realistic sound, superbly registering the clarity of Toscanini's orchestral sonority, the NBC Symphony members dig very deeply into the heart and soul of this magnificent work.

The Academic Festival Overture: from a live NBC radio concert at Studio 8H on November 6, 1948, comes this good-sounding rendition, somewhat lacking in the lyricism and warmth we have come to expect from the piece, but bristling with vigor.

Toscanini's Brahms overview must take its place with the most influential and historic recordings of the works, alongside those of Felix Weingartner, Wilhelm Furtwaengler, and Bruno Walter. Here in this set will be the best sound transfers you can ever obtain of these collectors' item recordings.

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