Brahms: The Four Symphonies / Toscanini, Philharmonia Orchestra

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Testament's catalog is full of gems, few as important as this set of Toscanini's legendary 1952 Philharmonia Brahms concerts. Available in various wretched-sounding pirate editions, this is the first "official" release, made from EMI's original concert tapes but unpublished because of contractual conflicts. Toscanini's Brahms is familiar from his contemporaneous RCA recordings with his NBC Symphony. But these are quite different from the driven and unyielding RCAs, made more unrelenting by dry, airless engineering. With the Philharmonia, we get a warmer, more lyrical Brahms, though no less intense. The 85-year-old conductor is rhythmically less rigid and his phrasing more flexible. Even the Third Symphony, never a comfortable fit for Toscanini, comes off well, while the more lyrical Second is as poetic as it is intense. But there isn't a weak performance on this set, and the quicksilver Variations rival Toscanini's classic 1936 recording with the New York Philharmonic. Throughout, his often episodic approach in the late RCA Brahms recordings is replaced by an ebb and flow that brings the music to life.

The Philharmonia is magnificent under Toscanini's baton, playing with warmth and imbuing brief solo turns with imagination. Trombone fluffs in the First's finale and firecrackers exploding on the roof in the Fourth don't dim enjoyment. Dennis Brain's golden tone and distinctive sound make his horn solos a joy to hear. The engineering is better than we might expect from 1952 concert recordings--solid, well-detailed monophonic sound. This set is a must-have, and not just for Toscanini idolaters. --Dan Davis

Brahms: The Four Symphonies / Toscanini, Philharmonia Orchestra, Music, Brahms, Haydn, Toscanini, Classical, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic

Average customer rating:

The Greatest Brahms

Raised on Toscanini

A splendid tribute to a great artist

If only ...

Astonishing performances, a few flaws

Brahms: The Four Symphonies / Toscanini, Philharmonia Orchestra
Brahms , Haydn , Pao , Toscanini , Arturo Toscanini , and Philharmonia Orchestra
Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00003OO0T
Release Date: 2000-03-10

Tracks:

Applause
British National Anthem
Tragic Overture, Op.81
I. Un Poco Sustenuto - Allegro
II. Andante Sostenuto
III. Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
IV. Adagio-Piu Andante-Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Adagio Non Troppo
III. Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino-Presto, Ma Non Assai)
IV. Allegro Con Spirito
British National Anthem
Chorale (St. Antoni)
I. Poco Piu Animato
II. Piu Vivace
III. Con Moto
IV. Andante Con Moto
V. Vivace
VI. Vivace
VII. Grazioso
VIII. Presto Non Troppo
Finale

Tracks:

I. Allegro Con Brio-Un Poco Sostenuto-Tempo I
II. Andante
III. Poco Allegretto
IV. Allegro-Un Poco Sostenuto
I. Allegro Non Troppo
II. Andante Moderato
III. Allegro Giocoso-Poco Meno Presto
IV. Allegro Energico E Passionato-Piu Allegro

Amazon.com

Testament's catalog is full of gems, few as important as this set of Toscanini's legendary 1952 Philharmonia Brahms concerts. Available in various wretched-sounding pirate editions, this is the first "official" release, made from EMI's original concert tapes but unpublished because of contractual conflicts. Toscanini's Brahms is familiar from his contemporaneous RCA recordings with his NBC Symphony. But these are quite different from the driven and unyielding RCAs, made more unrelenting by dry, airless engineering. With the Philharmonia, we get a warmer, more lyrical Brahms, though no less intense. The 85-year-old conductor is rhythmically less rigid and his phrasing more flexible. Even the Third Symphony, never a comfortable fit for Toscanini, comes off well, while the more lyrical Second is as poetic as it is intense. But there isn't a weak performance on this set, and the quicksilver Variations rival Toscanini's classic 1936 recording with the New York Philharmonic. Throughout, his often episodic approach in the late RCA Brahms recordings is replaced by an ebb and flow that brings the music to life.

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest Brahms.......2007-04-27

Regardless of what some of the other reviewers say, I believe that this is the greatest single Brahms set and one of the finest records that Toscanini ever made. This set shows the way that Toscanini could work his magic, much better than in the NBC set. I agree that his efforts were often rewarded with sub-par Studio 8H sound, but Legge and Douglas Larter did a fine job here, given the live recording, the less than ideal location, and the early 50s mono recording capabilities. The Philharmonia's work, except for the fluffed trombone in Symphony Nol 1 (a ringer, not a regular Philharmonia player) is terrific, particularly the winds and brass (trombones excepted). Dennis Brain is fabulous--even better than with Cantelli in the Brahms 1st. BUY THIS ONE NOW, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OTHER TESTAMENT REISSUES, SUCH AS THE HOLLYWOOD QUARTET'S LATE BEETHOVEN.

Raised on Toscanini.......2001-09-21

After Brahms heard his 1st Piano Concerto at a concert,he turned to a friend and uttered my favorite piece of musical criticism: "It can be played that way too". Toscanini loved Brahms and usually succeeded in playing the music he loved very well and convincingly. But he searched too; the performances were not always the same. If you know all his recordings of the Brahms 1st and 3rd, you will hear it. If you want the ideal Brahms/Toscanini comprehensive set get: The First on Naxos (with the 2nd Piano Concerto)(and banned in the USA); the 2nd on BMG (incandescent); the 3rd with the Philharmonia; and the 4th with the BBC (white hot). Are they all definitive? I think Brahms would nswer: "They can be played that way too." So sit back, listen, enjoy.

A splendid tribute to a great artist.......2000-09-22

Great performances, well recorded for a "live" event, which I believe give a realistic representation of the legendary Toscanini "sound" in a way that most of his studio recordings miss. The Philharmonia was a "world-class" orchestra in 1952, as the NBC was not, for various reasons, and the English players respond with an enthusiasm and subtlety that their New York counterparts never could achieve. The resulting interpretations are warm, subtly inflected, and essentially lyrical in approach, without losing the rhythmic bite and intensity that make the NBC recordings we all grew up with so exciting. It is clear that the primitive studio recording techniques of the early '50's are what make the Victor recordings sound so fragmented. These live concert performances show what Toscanini was famous for: never losing sight of the long line. Really impressive and worth the purchase price! The four star rating is only because of the limitations of the monophonic recording, which is a little too distant and a bit bass-heavy, but otherwise quite good.

If only ..........2000-09-10

If only Toscanini had cared more about recording and if he had had a Walter Legge to record him, I suspect the old boy wouldn't be getting dissed so much as we enter the 21st Century. But the Maestro didn't, and Legge had Karajan and Klemperer anyway around 1952, so that's the name of that tune. I'll be brief. These are very straightforward, passionate, committed interpretations. They are, however, not in the first rank as sets conducted by Walter, Klemperer, Karajan, Szell, Sanderling and Abbado. What these recordings represent are the possibilities of what could have happened had Toscanini chosen to make RECORDS and not BROADCASTS. In Furtwangler's case, he chose to PERFORM rather than RECORD. Alas, I'm afraid we who were born after BOTH had died will never really understand what made these two conductors so great, although Wilhelm comes close in his Bruckner, no matter how fuzzy the recording. But it does explain why Stokowski and Koussevitzky and Reiner and Monteux continue to impress us, and indeed, their reputations have continued to flourish. They left us something that we can truly cherish. In Toscanini's case, all he left was muffled genius.

Astonishing performances, a few flaws.......2000-08-21

Having owned a "pirated" version of this set some 26 years ago, I kind of liked the performances though the sound was horrible (rather like Everest's mangled sound of the Furtwangler La Scala "Ring" cycle), but the mixed customer reviews of this set--plus the reminders of flaws in the performances--made me hold off buying this "official" release for some time.

I can see where at least one person felt the Philharmonia performances were not as exciting as the NBC Symphony ones. The first concert (9/29/52) was not miked properly, with the result that the "Tragic Overture" and first two symphonies are a little tubby, with over-resonance on the bottom and dullness on the top. This, however, can be rectified by decreasing bass and increasing treble. That done, this version of the First Symphony is phrased very much like the legendary Guido Cantelli recording of May 1953--until the last movement, where Toscanini's more forward impetus does not allow for quite as much rubato lingering. This version of the second is also very good, though I still prefer the Munch/Boston Symphony recording.

In the second concert, however (10/1/52), both Toscanini and the Philharmonia reach heights undreamed-of with the NBC Symphony. This version of the "Haydn Variations" is almost as beautiful as the famed 1936 New York Philharmonic account, relaxed, spacious and warm, while these versions of the Third and Fourth Symphonies are the best I have EVER heard. In the first movement of the Third, for instance, Toscanini achieves one of his "miracle" effects, in that the orchestra as a totality "breathes" over long phrases in long, sweeping arches of sound, almost as if the music thus produced has taken wing and lifted off. No wonder Walter Legge called it the greatest performance of any music he had ever heard in his life. The Fourth is a miracle of a different sort, in that Toscanini has found the proper rhythmic "cell" with which to propel this usually lethargic symphony without making it sound forced or crunching. I have NEVER heard anyone achieve this kind of effect in the Fourth Symphony since. Also, the microphone balance is here quite perfect, so you can readjust your stereo set (bass and treble) accordingly and receive near-high fidelity sound.

I only gave this set 4 stars because of the sound problems in the first concert, the fluffed trombone notes in the finale of the First Symphony, and the firecrackers in the last movement of the Fourth...but believe me, those firecrackers in no way diminish the astounding quality of the performance, annoying though they may be.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Letters Never Sent

Pierné: Piano Quintet, Op. 41 / Violin Sonata, Op. 36

Plastic Surgery Disasters

Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge [Live]

Best of [Import]

Piel De Barrabas [Import]

Saturday Night (2000 Off-Broadway Revival Cast) [Cast Recording]

Prokofiev: The Concertos

Named and Shamed

Nielsen - Maskarade / Ulf Schirmer

Power of Two

Mis Primeras Grabaciones

Primi Cruz

Love Is Strange

Chet Baker in Tokyo