Brahms: Symphony 3/Tragic Overture

1. Tragic Overture, in D minor, Op. 81
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch

2. Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch

Brahms: Symphony 3/Tragic Overture,Johannes Brahms,Hans Knappertsbusch,Wiener Philharmoniker,Orfeo D'or,Classical,Orchestral,Romantic Overture for Orchestra,Romantic Symphony,Symphonic

Average customer rating: Good but not memorable for me Brahms symphonies sloppy One of Solti's better recordings in Chicago Very good

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Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: I. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro
2. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: II. Adante sostenuto
3. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
4. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: IV. Adagio - Piu adante - Allegro non troppo ma con brio

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: I. Allegro non troppo
2. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: II. Adagio non troppo
3. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino) - Presto ma non assai
4. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: IV. Allegro con Spirito
5. Tragic Overture, Op. 81

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: I. Allegro con brio - Johannes Brahms
2. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: II. Andante - Johannes Brahms
3. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: III. Poco allegretto - Johannes Brahms
4. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: IV. Allegro - Johannes Brahms
5. Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 - Johannes Brahms

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: I. Allegro non troppo
2. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: II. Andante moderato
3. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: III. Allegro giocoso
4. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: IV. Allegro energico e passionato

Customer Reviews:

Good but not memorable for me.......2007-05-17

I purchased this cycle with eager anticipation but was frankly disappointed when I opened up the set and popped it in my stereo. I love the CSO/Solti sound (esp the brass section) as much as anybody but I am disappointed with the energy, balance, and precision of entrances and note lengths. If you want a great set, buy the HSO/Eschenbach!

Brahms symphonies.......2006-11-07

I'll make this simple. If your interested in a great set of the four Brahms symphonies pick this up immediately. Great sound(late analogue warmth), terrific performances(Solti and Chicago are sturdy as always), and an extremely low price.

This set has several distinct advantages over some of the others out there. For starters each symphony occupies its own cd. Sounds simple enough but I'm quickly tiring of sets that split up symphonies under 80 minutes long just to pack each cd to the brink. Nothing's worse than having a complete symphony and half of another on one cd and the other half of the second symphony on disc number 2. No sense switching discs to listen to one work unless that work is over 80 mintues long(ie- Mahler). I'm also getting sick of sets that couple insequential symphonies together to fill up discs(ie- symphonies number 1 and 4 on one disc). I like to listen in sequential order.

This set allows that. One symphony per disc. Discs two and three each have an overture to fill up some time and that's fine since both are after the symphony. How about Abbado and others putting these overtures and other 'bonus' works _before_ the main attraction? What's that about?

I mentioned it early but the price issue is also huge. Sure, you could buy Abbado's Berlin set which is great but be ready to shell out over $120(!) on Amazon. You'll get a couple of additional short works with that set but come on. Is it worth another $100 or so? Your call but I'd say no way.
Pick this up for around $20 and be assured that your getting quality Brahms at a great price.

sloppy.......2006-02-28

It's sloppy. Interpretation not well thought through. Solti is a well known name, but I wasn't impressed. It sounds uninspired. Check out a different set of the Brahms' symphonies.

One of Solti's better recordings in Chicago.......2005-10-14

This Brahms Symphonies set with Sir Georg Solti/Chicago Symphony is one of Solti's better recordings in Chicago. Recorded in 1979, just before the Digital age and technology took over, these are beautiful, smooth and creamy recordings with rich bass and nice mid range. Solti is intense but never driven, and he knows just how much intensity to put into Brahms without over-driving him and making the music become melodramatic or vulgar. The sound London's engineers got in these recordings is better than for the Solti/Chicago Beethoven Symphonies recorded earlier that decade, 1972-74.

The Chicago Symphony under Solti was "HOT" in recording sales during the 1970s. I was in college from 1977-81, and all the brass and woodwind players raved about Chicago's recordings of Strauss, Mahler, and other composers which were currently being released. I especially recall a flute player who was estatic because she received three Solti/Chicago LPs for Christmas gifts one year. The brass and woodwinds are often emphasized in many Solti/Chicago recordings, with the strings less prominent than some orchestras; but here the balance is very equal where needed, and the brass do yeoman service in the passages most needed, such as the running figures at the end of Symphony 2:IV.

Solti does take alot of repeats, especially in Symphony 2:I, which makes this movement several minutes longer than most recordings. And he isn't afraid to take his time - tempos aren't too fast, and never feel driven: not always the case in a Solti recording. I of Symphony 1 and Symphony 3 also have repeats, thus making these movements longer than in recordings of Bruno Walter or George Szell.

The companion works, Academic Festival Overture and Tragic Overture are also excellent in every way, recalling Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony (Sony), who recorded these works in stereo 20 years before Solti/Chicago.

Very good.......2005-03-18

This is the Brahms Symphonies set to get. Every performance is great, and the sound is pretty high quality. I do not notice any problems with the acoustics. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: great series

The Story Of Brahms Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Story of Tchaikovsky Story Of Chopin In Words And Music The Story Of Handel The Story of Beethoven The Story of Bach ASIN: B000001KDB Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No. 2 In B-Flat Major, Op. 83: Allegro appassionato
3. Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 83: Rondo
4. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Adagio non troppo
5. Serenade, Op. 106: No. 1
6. Violin Concerto in D Major. Op. 77: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
7. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Allegro con spirito
8. Capriccio in B Minor, Op. 76: No. 2
9. Hungarian Dance No. 6 in D-flat Major
10. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: Andante sostenuto
11. Piano Concerto No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 15: Maestoso
12. Lullaby, Op. 49: No. 4
13. Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor
14. Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35: Book II
15. Rinaldo, Op. 50
16. Waltz in A-flat Major, Op. 39: No. 15
17. Love Song Waltzes, Op. 52: No. 1
18. Hungarian Dance No. 5 in F-sharp Major
19. Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Op. 56a
20. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: Excerpts
21. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Allegro non troppo
22. Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: Op. 77
23. Academic Festival Overture: Op. 80
24. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major: Allegro non troppo
25. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Allegro
26. Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op. 115: Allegro
27. Tragic Overture: Op. 81
28. Academic Festival Overture: Op. 80
29. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 1 in G Minor
30. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 2 in F Major
31. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 10 in E Major
32. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 5 in F-sharp Major
33. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 6 in D-flat Major
34. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 7 in A Major
35. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 17 in F-sharp Minor
36. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 19 in B Minor
37. 9 Hungarian Dances: No. 21 in E Minor

Customer Reviews:

great series.......2007-01-10

This CD along with the others in the series is very good. So far we have collected about ten different ones. They are thorough and interesting. I homeschool and it has been a great additon to our teaching materials and tools. The narrarated history format interspersed with the composer's music is key to keeping the interest of the children. A must-have for introducing classical music with historical background to your kids and at a great price on Amazon!

Average customer rating: no kidding Not sure what all the fuss is about. Five stars + Karajan or Klemperer in Brahms? My deserted island pick

EMI Great Recordings of Century - Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4/Klemperer Johannes Brahms , Philharmonia Orchestra , Christa Ludwig , Philharmonia Chorus , and Otto Klemperer Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos Furtwangler Conducts Brahms - Complete Symphonies, etc / North German RSO, Berlin PO Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Symphonies nos. 3, 5, & 6 / Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Wagner: Orchestral Music Furtwangler Conducts Beethoven - Beethoven: symphonies no 3,4,5, & 9, Leonore ASIN: B0001O3Y8A Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

1. Thema: Chorale St. Antoni
2. Variation I (Poco Piu Animato)
3. Variation II (Piu Vivace)
4. Variation III (Con Moto)
5. Variation IV (Andante Con Moto)
6. Variation V (Vivace)
7. Variation VI (Vivace)
8. Variation VII ( Grazioso)
9. Variation VIII (Presto Non Troppo)
10. Finale (Andante)
11. I: Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro
12. II: Andante Sostenuto
13. III: Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
14. IV: Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro Non Troppo Ma Con Brio

Tracks:

1. I: Allegro Non Troppo
2. II: Adagio Non Troppo
3. III: Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - Presto Ma Non Assai
4. IV: Allegro Con Spirito
5. I: Allegro Con Brio - Un Poco Sostenuto
6. II: Andante
7. III: Poco Allegretto
8. IV: Allegro - Un Poco Sostenuto

Tracks:

1. Academic Festival Overture Op. 80
2. Tragic Overture Op. 81
3. Alto Rhapsody Op. 53
4. I: Allegro Non Troppo
5. II: Andante Moderato
6. III: Allegro Giocoso - Poco Meno Presto
7. IV: Allegro Energico E Passionato - Piu Allegro

Customer Reviews:

no kidding.......2007-07-06

this IS the best brahms set in the market. honesly, as much as i love klemperer, i was pretty surprised by the amount of tension he managed to retain throughout this studio recording - something the greatest conductors often couldn't do.
To me, and i do not seem to be alone in this regard, the gem of the set is the fourth symphony. It is here that Klemperer simply out does Celibidache, Toscanini, and Furtwangler. The passacaglia is imbued with a sense of inevitability - i was completely taken aback by the impact of the climax. The relationship between the variations was so perfectly thought out that after this recording every other passacaglia seems inconsequential. Furtwangler might have imbued each passage with more fire, but even his profound insight is cursory compared to what Klemperer manages to convey.
Klemperer's supreme sense of architecture and drama also churns out an inimitable Academic Overture, which is also simply the most stunning and satisfying account I have ever heard. While in the beginning the orchestra might not seem completely synchronized, such misgivings are done away with by the time the last theme, the climax, is performed.
the rest are also similarly great, although owing the Furtwangler, Klemperer's first symphony doesn't top the rest of the competition like the other symphonies do.
there are a few records out there that i would call definitive - but this brahms set is the closest ever.

Not sure what all the fuss is about........2006-09-15

For me this set of Brahms is ho-hum. It is average, but nothing special. I feel the same way about Herbert von Kajaran's interpretation of Brahms. Brahms is without a doubt my favorite composer and I have heard many versions of his symphonies. For my tastes, the London Philharmonic's sound has always been too thin for Brahms. The only time I liked the London Philharmonic performing Brahms was Antal Dorati's set on Mercury Living Presence.
I prefer the rich and warm sound of the Berlin Philharmonic. The set of symphonies that Claudio Abbado released on DG in the 1990's has taken top honors for me. Most of the previous traversals with the Berliners (i.e. von Karajan) have taken the tempos too slow for my tastes.
As far as I'm concerned you can do much better elsewhere: Abbado, Szell, and Dorati - heck even Bruno Walter's set with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra is better than this presentation.

Five stars +.......2005-11-14

Klemperer is one of my favourites, probably because I got to know Mahler through him. For me this is the best Brahms symphonies cycle yet. The tempos are well judged as always and the Philharmonia at top form as always under Klemperer. I feel that the 4th is the gem of this cycle unsurpassed in every aspect. Along with the German Requiem again with Klempeper and the Philharmonia I find these CDs the best Brahms orchestral music on the market.

Karajan or Klemperer in Brahms?.......2005-09-29

Otto Klempeerer owes his late career in London and on EMI records to von Karajan. Since its founding in 1949, the Philharmonia Orch. was closely allied with Karajan, who built it up as his own career took off after the war. But when Furtwangler died in 1954 and his arch-rvial Karajan took over the Berlin Phil., the impressario of the Philharmonia, Walter Legge, knew that he neeeded a new stellar conductor or his orchestra would fail. He chose Klemperer, then almost forgotten and already past 65 when he made his initial appearances in London in 1951.

Legge's gamble paid off. Klemperer became the darling of London critics and audiences, and his performance style--measured, serious, with impeccable integrity--became the standard in Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, and Brahms. He cared little for beauty of osund, smooth phrasing, or stylistic refinement. Words like "granitic" and "primordial" were used regularly.

Is he the antithesis of Karajan, who valued everything that Klemperer disdained? Listening to these Brahms symphony recordings in improved sound, I think the Klemperer vs. Karajan debate isn't all that valid. These four symphonies aren't granitic or primordial, nor are they particularly slow. In fact, the first movement of the Second moves lightly, as does the finale of the Fourth. If anything, Karajan's presentation is more massive and imposing in every symphony. The main difference begins with Klemperer's steady pace, which he tends to hold without allowing the phrase to be molded as flexibly as Karajan.

Karajan made two complete Brahms cycles for DG, the latter in digital sound. He was undoubtedly a great Brahms conductor, but so was Klemperer. Here the Philharmonia sounds sharp and alert and not very big in number, while Karajan's Berlin forces sound sumptuous and huge.

These two giants had no peer in Brahms from the death of Toscanini to the present day, excepting occasional recordings by Giulini, Bernstein, and perhaps in today's market, Harnoncourt. Some would also rank bruno Walter's two Brahms cycles at this exalted level, but for me only the mono one with the NY Phil., now available on a Sony import, qualifies, and besides the inadequate sonics, the orchestra does not play as beautifully as what we hear in this set. It's great to have Klemperer's classic set, which is totally free of eccentricity, back in such good sound. Five stars without a doubt.

My deserted island pick.......2005-06-20

If I had to go to that deserted island, I would be in doubt of which of these 3 CDs to take with me. I have perhaps 500 classical CDs, but this box stands out. I am not going to write very much, however: Brahms is my favourite composer. Brahms was Klemperer's favourite composer. His conducting is perfect all the way. These are so-called slow interpretations, i.e. compared to Toscanini and Walter, but not slow compared to, say Abbado; I think these tempos are perfectly suited to bring out the richness of the texture. The result I will describe as civilized, human, warm, even hot, dramatic, strictly to the point, even sharp, although there are sharper interpretations out there, but they don't got the same lyrical intensity as Klemperer's.

Average customer rating: A jewel in my collection Great Brahms Cycle From An Unexpected Place The best Brahms for the best price!

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Eschenbach, Christoph | ( E ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Houston Symphony Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 The Nine Symphonies Mahler: Symphony No. 6; Piano Quartet [Hybrid SACD] Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3; Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Barber: Toccata Festiva Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos ASIN: B00005TNML Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

1. Symphony No.1 In C Minor, Op.68: I. Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro
2. Symphony No.1 In C Minor, Op.68: II. Andante Sostenuto
3. Symphony No.1 In C Minor, Op.68: III. Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
4. Symphony No.1 In C Minor, Op.68: IV. Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio
5. Academic Festival Overture, Op.80

Tracks:

1. Symphony No.2 In D Major, Op.73: I. Allegro Non Troppo
2. Symphony No.2 In D Major, Op.73: II. Adagio Non Troppo
3. Symphony No.2 In D Major, Op.73: III. Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - Presto Ma Non Troppo
4. Symphony No.2 In D Major, Op.73: IV. Allegro Con Spirito
5. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Chorale (St. Antoni)
6. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: I. Poco Piu Animato
7. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: II. Piu Vivace
8. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: III. Con Moto
9. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: IV. Andante Con Moto
10. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: V. Vivace
11. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: VI. Vivace
12. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: VII. Grazioso
13. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: VIII. Presto Non Troppo
14. Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op.56a: Finale

Tracks:

1. Symphonie No.3 In F Major, Op.90: I. Allegro Non Troppo
2. Symphonie No.3 In F Major, Op.90: II. Andante Moderato
3. Symphonie No.3 In F Major, Op.90: III. Allegro Giocoso
4. Symphonie No.3 In F Major, Op.90: IV. Allegro Energico E Passionato
5. Alto Rhapsody, Op.53 - Dunja Vejzovic

Tracks:

1. Symphony No.4 In E Minor, Op.98: I. Allegro Non Troppo
2. Symphony No.4 In E Minor, Op.98: II. Andante Moderato
3. Symphony No.4 In E Minor, Op.98: III. Allegro Giocoso
4. Symphony No.4 In E Minor, Op.98: IV. Allegro Energico E Passionato
5. Tragic Overture, Op.81

Customer Reviews:

A jewel in my collection.......2005-11-15

Brahms was the torchbearer of the First Viennese School, holding down tradition's fort in the face of the Liszt/Wagner music of the future. Despite his preference for Classical forms and structure, his temperament was unquestionably Romantic. Brahms resolved these seemingly opposite forces in his music, but realizing Brahms' vision in performance can be elusive. Among the symphony cycles, rarely has Brahms sounded so fully Classical and fully Romantic simultaneously than in this set.

The critical element in Eschenbach's readings is that they are somewhat slower than most, with tempi similar to those of Furtwangler's. This approach allows the thick orchestration to breathe, making it easier to appreciate Brahms' unrivaled mastery of musical architecture. Furthermore, it highlights his imagination while remaining within the confines of the traditional symphonic forms. For the slow movements, it fully showcases Brahms' lyricism that a faster tempo would have glossed over.

I did find the first movement of the Fourth to be a little slow, but it was still within the realm of reasonable interpretation. I'm sure it will grow on me as I listen more.

The inclusion of four add-ons is a nice bonus--most Brahms sets include only the Academic Festival and Tragic Overtures. No revelations here, but they are well performed.

Overall, an unbeatable value.

Great Brahms Cycle From An Unexpected Place.......2003-08-29

It's not all the time that it happens, but every once in a while, a symphonic cycle box set made by an orchestra that is not universally seen as a world-class outfit makes an impact. Such is the case here with this cycle of Brahms' four symphonies and various other works performed here by the Houston Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Christoph Eschenbach, who served as Music Director from 1989 to 2001.

This Brahms cycle was made during the early 90s, and shows both Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony in top form. Eschenbach observes the first-movement exposition repeats of the first three symphonies, thus making their running times longer (the opening of No. 1 is almost nineteen minutes; that of No. 2 nearly twenty-two; and that of No. 3 over thirteen and a half), but the quality is never sacrificed. Dunja Vejzovic and the male voices of the Houston Symphony Chorus are excellent on the recording of Brahms' early choral work Alto Rhapsody; and the orchestra does good work on the Haydn Variations, the Academic Festival Overture, and the highly charged Tragic Overture.

Given all of this, it is bewildering that it has only been in recent times that the Houston Symphony has achieved the respect it has long deserved. After all, many big names had stood on the podium before Eschenbach: Beecham, Stokowski, Barbirolli, and Previn. But Eschenbach seemed to break through the orchestra board's long-time ultra-conservative musical mentality, and thus he elevated the Houston Symphony to world-class status. The proof can be found in this superbly recorded and superbly priced Brahms set, which is well worth seeking out.

The best Brahms for the best price!.......2002-09-23

When I saw this inexpensive 4cd box set, I knew that I had to get it, especially after hearing Eschenbach's recording of Bruckner's 6th w/Houston SO (the best ever btw). Some conductors (eg. Karajan) try to take you into different worlds in the different symphonies. However Eschenbach takes you to different places withnin the same world, giving the listener a more organic-whole musical listening experience. The rhythms are sharp, the readings are dark (Brahms was a hard-core loner) and intense. The opening of the first sym. reminds me of Klemperer, so deep and powerful. The stings are flawless and full of support. When one looks at set prices like Abbado's...the eschenbach set is one of the best Brahms bargain sets of all time. The filler pieces are equally strong, as are the singers in the alto rhap. A must have for all Brahmsians!!

Average customer rating: Pieces too lengthy and ambient for a 'best of'.

Brahms: Greatest Hits Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Grieg: Greatest Hits Liszt: Greatest Hits Chopin: Greatest Hits Mendelssohn: Greatest Hits Schubert: Greatest Hits ASIN: B000002A1H Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

1. Hungarian Dance No. 5
2. Lullaby, Op. 49, No. 4
3. Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
4. Variations On A Theme By Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a: Finale. Andante
5. Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 77: Allegro, Ma Non Tanto
6. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: Allegro Giocoso - Poco Meno Presto
7. Piano Quartet In G Minor, Op. 25: Rondo Alla Zingarese. Presto
8. Tragic Overture, Op. 81
9. Waltz In A-Flat Major, Op. 39, No. 15
10. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op.68: Adiagio-Allegro Non Troppo Ma Con Brio

Customer Reviews:

Pieces too lengthy and ambient for a 'best of'........2003-11-17

'Greatest Hits' compilations are purposeful for those who don't want 'the whole piece'.This cd has too many long and ambient versions to be suitable for beginners to Brahms.Alot of his outstanding moments are 'blended in', rather than 'stood out'.So his melodic element is missed on some selections.But there are stand-outs.This Hungarian Dance n.5 is the most extravagent version i've heard.The tempo-changes are clever, and the orchestra packs a gypsy punch.A couple of the chamber works are great (tho u can find similar to those versions on many brahms' best of's).I find the melody of 'lullaby' is a bit lost in how very slowly it's done.Most 'Brahms' Greatest Hits' do focus more heavily on his orchestral pieces.This one also does, so I feel theres too few of his great chamber (trio/4tet/5tet) themes.

Average customer rating: Splendid Brahms Symphony Cycle from Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4; Double Concerto; Serenade No. 2 Manufacturer: Lso Live UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 [Special Edition] [Hybrid SACD] Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies Piano Concerti 1 & 2 / Haydn 5 Mahler: Symphony No. 9 Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 ASIN: B000A6OC6C Release Date: 2005-10-11

Customer Reviews:

Splendid Brahms Symphony Cycle from Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra.......2006-05-12

The London Symphony Orchestra's LSO Live label finally offers as a box set acclaimed conductor Bernard Haitink's latest - and third - Brahms symphony cycle (The other two - which are still available - were recorded by Philips with Haitink conducting the Royal Concertgebouw and Boston Symphony orchestras in the 1970s and early 1990s.). Those interested in a fine Brahms symphony cycle by one of our greatest conductors will not be disappointed with this box set, which compiles the individual LSO Live CDs released over the past few years (These were recorded at live concert performances of Haitink conducting the London Symphony Orchestra primarily back in 2003 and 2004.).

Highlights include Haitink's spellbinding interpretations of the four Brahms symphonies and a brilliant performance by concertmaster Gordan Nikolitch and principal cellist Timothy Hugh of the Brahms Double Concerto. The London Symphony Orchestra's performances are absolutely impeccable, rivalling those from preeminent Dutch, German and Austrian orchestras.

Haitink offers a compelling interpretation of Brahms' 1st Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra in excellent form, which ranks as among the best performed and recorded I have heard. His latest interpretation is one which seems a bit less restrained than his earlier versions, but still replete with strict adherence to Brahms' tempi. His latest interpretation is, in some respects, more exciting than his earlier Philips recordings, emphasizing the rich sonorities and complex architecture of Brahms' score.

Without question Haitink's LSO Live recording is the best live recording of the Brahms 2nd Symphony I have heard, easily eclipsing Kurt Masur's acclaimed account with the New York Philharmonic recorded nearly a decade ago by Teldec. It is also Haitink's finest recording of this work, which he has recorded previously with both the Royal Concertgebouw and Boston Symphony orchestras. Haitink does a wonderful job emphasizing the textural richness of Brahms' score, while keeping the orchestra playing well at a very brisk tempo. However, the real treasure on this recording is the excellent performance of the Double Concerto by the London Symphony's Concertmaster and Principal Cellist which opens this CD. Theirs is a vibrant, rhapsodic performance which compares quite well - indeed I think may be better - than the recent Deutsche Grammophon recording featuring violinist Gil Shaham with Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Once again the orchestra plays with much intensity and warmth, led ably by Haitink.

Bernard Haitink's LSO Live CD of the Brahms Serenade Number 2 and the 3rd Symphony, is recorded from concerts he conducted in 2002 (serenade) and 2003 (symphony). Brahms' Serenade Number 2 could be regarded as an early precursor to his symphonies, since it is a five-movement work. Haitink leads the London Symphony Orchestra in yet another excellent performance, noted for warm, rhapsodic playing from the string section. However, the best performance on this CD is that of Brahms' Third Symphony. This piece itself is a bit unusual for a 19th Century symphony, in the form of Allegro Andante Poco Allegretto Allegro. In its overall tone, the work itself is a bit "darker" than the Second Symphony, which many have regarded as Brahms' "Pastoral" symphony. Haitink excels in emphasizing the more melancholy aspects of the work, leading the London Symphony Orchestra in the best-conducted and recorded version of this symphony that I've heard so far, with the possible exception of Harnoncourt's Teldec recording with him conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Haitink's latest recording seems a bit darker than Masur's New York Philharmonic Orchestra recording from Teldec, and perhaps, Harnoncourt's as well.

Haitink has conducted the London Symphony in an unusually warm, vibrant performance of the Brahms 4th Symphony, which is replete with excellent solo performances from the french horns, woodwinds and strings. I was especially pleased with Haitink's dignified, but still brooding, interpretation of the 4th movement, which comes across as a musical interlude between darkness and light. I personally regard this recording of the Brahms 4th symphony as the best currently available, in a crowded pack that includes distinguished recordings from the likes of Claudio Abbado, Herbert Blomstedt, Carlos Kleiber, Kurt Masur, and Kurt Sanderling.

Fans of Haitink's critically acclaimed 1970s Brahms symphony cycle may miss the ambient warmth of the Concertgebouw's main concert hall in this Brahms symphony cycle, but I will contend that these new recordings sound more vivid than the earlier Philips recordings. LSO Live is currently releasing Haitink's second Beethoven symphony cycle from live performances he conducted last year; I am eagerly awaiting these, suspecting that they will be regarded as among the finest Beethoven symphony recordings issued in the last few years. Later this year he will be visiting New York City, leading the London Symphony Orchestra in a Beethoven symphony cycle at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Not only do I look forward to this visit, but also to Haitink's future performances at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium as Principal Conductor of the venerable Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Average customer rating: Brahms Symphony No. 3 Great Performances, Okay Sound, Great Selections! Bernstein's Riveting Brahms Symphonies and more with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Leonard Bernstein Conducts Brahms (Collectors Edition) Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (Collectors Edition) Leonard Bernstein Conducts Haydn (Collectors Edition) Leonard Bernstein Conducts Sibelius (Collectors Edition) Tchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon ASIN: B0001WGDXA Release Date: 2004-05-11

Customer Reviews:

Brahms Symphony No. 3.......2007-07-23

I just heard the third movement on Internet radio and it is just about perfect. No tempo issues, lines flowing smoothly from instrument to instrument. It's the most expressive I've ever heard. Just heartbreakingly beautiful.

I'm buying it today. This is the Brahms interpretation I want my kids to grow up listening to.

Great Performances, Okay Sound, Great Selections!.......2006-07-28

Brahms has always been one of my favourite composers and Bernstein and the Vienna PO have done an excellent interpretation of all his Symphonies and especially of the Violin and Double Concerti. The sound quality for a live recording is also quite okay and this is especially so of the last disc which contains the Concerti.

The packaging of a cardboard box which holds the paper sleeves which house the 5 discs is also nice to behold. You also get a nice 16-page booklet with an essay on Brahms written by Bernstein himself.

I was amused to also discover that when it comes to Brahms' symphonies, it appears the 3rd movements are charms when it comes to "borrowing" the melodies for pop/rock tunes too. The progressive rock band, Yes, have openly used the 3rd movement of the 4th one as one of the tracks on their wildly successful album, "Fragile" while if you listen closely to the one from the 3rd Symphony, you'll realise that Santana totally ripped off the melody for the second track on his "Supernatural" album, "Love of My Life" with Dave Matthews. At least Yes had the decency to give the credit to Brahms when they did it though.

This box set though comes highly recommended.

Bernstein's Riveting Brahms Symphonies and more with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.......2005-09-09

Leonard Bernstein has been praised and condemned by musical critics who have examined his unique, distinctive style of conducting. Along with Herbert von Karajan, Bernstein was probably among the two finest music directors of his generation; critics have thoroughly compared and contrasted Bernstein's emotional approach with Karajan's stern, almost business-like approach to conducting. Regardless of whether or not you may love Bernstein's style of conducting, he is still revered and loved by his harshest critics, the musicians who enjoyed playing for him as members of some of the world's greatest symphony orchestras. For example, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the Vienna Philharmonic's concertmasters last March here in New York City, hearing his lavish praise of Bernstein as both a musician and person. He still regarded Bernstein as one of his favorite conductors, viewing their concerts as among the highlights in his own noteworthy career as solo violinist and concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The enthusiasm and admiration which the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra had for its favorite American conductor is present in this splendid Deutsche Grammophon collection which has been compiled recently from the original digital recordings made during live concerts held in the early 1980s. Among these are one of my favorite recordings of the Brahms 2nd Symphony, which is a lush, lovely reading of Brahms' most pastoral symphony, and a valid interpretation inspite of Bernstein's tendency for slower tempi. Similarly, the other three symphony recordings are splendid in their own right, with the brooding 1st Symphony a mesmerizing, exciting performance. I strongly recomend this CD collection as a fine example of Bernstein still conducting at the height of his artistic powers, demonstrating the excellent collaboration between the conductor and his favorite European orchestra. Without question, this remains one of the best Brahms symphony cycles available to discerning collectors and novices of classical music alike.

Average customer rating: Not good, not bad, just generic Beautiful orchestra, but Muti conducts from an easy chair Muti delivers Bargain Brahms from a Great Brahms Orchestra

Brahms: Complete Symphonies Brahms , Philadelphia Orchestra , and Riccardo Muti Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures Complete Concertos / Overtures Tchaikovsky: Symphony No6, Op74; Skryabin: Symphony No4 Tchaikovsky: Symphony 5 / Francesca da Rimini Beethoven: Complete Symphonies ASIN: B000065TV5 Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 68: Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro - Mano Allegro
2. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 63: Andante Sostenuto
3. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 63: Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
4. Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 63: Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio
5. Variations For Orchestra In B Flat Major On A Theme By Joseph Haydn Op. 56A

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Allegro Non Troppo
2. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Aagio Non Troppo - L'Istesso Tempo, Ma Grazioso
3. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - Presto Ma Non Assai - Tempo 1
4. Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 73: Allegro Con Spirito
5. Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
6. Tragic Overture, Op. 81

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Allegro Con Brio
2. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Andante
3. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Poco Allegretto
4. Symphony No. 3 In F Major, Op. 90: Allegro
5. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: Allegro Non Troppo
6. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: Andante Moderato
7. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: Allegro Giocoso - Poco Meno Presto - Tempo 1
8. Symphony No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 98: Allegro Energico E Pissionato - Piu Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Not good, not bad, just generic.......2007-07-02

I concur with Santa Fe Listener on this one...this is classic Muti, preferring not to take any chances, remaining true to his belief that the composer, rather than the conductor, should do the talking. While his performances don't have the same creepily synthetic quality of later Karajan, nonetheless it has the generic, all-the-notes-in-right-place flavor which makes it all too easy to forget after a short time.

As a cycle, it is nicely affordable & certainly doesn't run roughshod over the music, so it at least has got that going for it. I guess it would a good starter set for the novice, but for anyone already familiar with these symphonies, there are far better sets (my own personal preference is Walter) from which to choose.

Beautiful orchestra, but Muti conducts from an easy chair.......2006-11-26

Listeners form their own allegiances, but I'm shockeed that early reviewers think that Muti has made a first-rate Brahms cycle. It's certainly true that the Philadelphia Orch. sounds gorgeous, but Muti never asks them to stretch. Every single movement is taken at a comfortable pace with underplayed solos and not the slightest hint of real struggle or tension. This is Brahms relegated to assisted living. There are other conductors who take a plush-velvet approach to the Brahms symphonies (Sawallisch and the aging Barbirolli), but without inner drama, these readings get boring veyr fast. Even the push-and-pul of Jochum is preerable. As to the truly great Brahmsians of the stereo era, I will stick with late Walter, Bernstein, Karajan, and when I am in the mood, the ever-tantalizing, ever-frustrating Celibadache.

Muti delivers.......2004-05-22

Muti's recordings of the Brahms symphonies are powerful and sweeping, with good detail and a realistic acoustic. Muti provides his usual (and wonderful) lyricism, which fits most of the pieces very well.

Karajan's First Symphony on DG is more darkly dramatic than Muti's is here (if you like drama -- and drama works for the First -- you might consider Karajan). Muti's performance is anything but slack, however. And Muti gets a better sound than Karajan does from the engineers; Muti's recording is more natural, with nice, open imaging.

For me, Muti's Fourth is bested only by Kleiber's classic interpretation on DG. Kleiber doesn't dip as far into the emotional possibilities of the work as Muti, maybe, but that isn't Kleiber's goal. His Brahms is more classical than Muti's, more Appollonian, and only Kleiber solves all of the Fourth's problems with his extraordinary panache and grace, IMHO. Still, I enjoy Muti's version very much, and if it were my only version I'd be mighty happy with it.

Overall, if you want a very good collection of all four symphonies, Muti and the Philadelphians won't disappoint.

Nutshell: Committed performances and digital sound coupled with a midline price. Very fine.

Bargain Brahms from a Great Brahms Orchestra.......2003-11-13

When this set first came out in the early 90s, I bought the recording of the Second Symphony, which critics thought the strongest of the set. In deference to their judgment I avoided the rest of the recordings until now. I'd always thought the Muti Second a strong one without being absolutely first class, but now, heard in the company of other three symphonies and the Haydn Variations, it emerges even stronger in my estimation. Whereas Ormandy tended to wallow a bit in Brahms, Muti's approach is characteristically leaner without being in the least meaner. In fact, the ripe nostalgia of the Third Symphony, probably nobody's favorite Brahms, comes across wonderfully, as does the high drama of the Fourth, especially given Philips' burnished but impactive sound-those marvelous trombones in the finale! and trumpets and drums in the scherzo! (Not to mention the famous "auto horn" cadence from the Second Symphony finale!) The beauty of the string-and-wind playing is a given with this orchestra. But I think I've never fully appreciated the loveliness of Brahms's writing for woodwinds before hearing this set.

Luckily, though (for example) the Tragic Overture moves along at quite a clip in the faster sections--all the better for it, too, since dawdlin' in this work tends to make it sound maudlin--Muti isn't the juggernaut he often is, glossing over the subtleties along the way. This happens to some extent in his Beethoven, but he really lets Brahms breathe. A case in point is the First Symphony. I thought Muti's reading a bit too static, a bit too granitic on first hearing. But as I've lived with the performance, I've come to believe that Muti fully captures the Olympian grandeur of this best of all first symphonies, as British music critic Bernard Jacobson calls it in his notes to the recording.

So here you have a great Brahms orchestra captured in clear, assertive, yet airy sonics, in performances that are obviously the product of affection as well as serious study and attention to detail. At Philips' Trio price, this is certainly a deal.

Average customer rating: Vintage performances One of the great bargains of DG's catalog Bohm is a master in this Repetoire!! Classic Brahms symphonies; formidable musicianship Karl Bohm's Underrated Great Brahms Symphony Cycle

4 Symphonies / Variations Johannes Brahms , Christa Ludwig , and Karl Bohm Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Schubert: 8 Symphonies Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 9; Overtures Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 6, 7 & 8/2 Overtures Symphonies 1-9 ASIN: B000069KIZ Release Date: 2002-10-08

Customer Reviews:

Vintage performances.......2006-09-25

Late analog recordings ARE supposed to be rich and warm! This is an excellent example!

One of the great bargains of DG's catalog.......2005-10-11

Karl Bohm's recording of Brahms Four Symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic (recorded 1975-76) is one of the great bargains of the DG catalog. These are recorded in beautiful analog stereo sound in the Musikvereinsalle, one of the world's great concert halls, and Bohm was in great shape when these were put on tape.
The Vienna Philharmonic could of course play these works in their sleep, having recorded and performed them numerous times under other great conductors since Brahms (1833-1897) was living. Karl Bohm (1894-1981) had ample experience conducting Brahms, having recorded Symphonies 1 and 2 with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1940, and again with Symphonies 1 and 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic for DG, about 1960. There is a famous Bohm/Dresden State Orchestra recording of Brahms Symphony 4 from the late 1930s, reissued in the US on Dutton (but may be deleted now), and a Vox LP (mono) of Brahms 3 by Bohm/Vienna from about 1952.

Bohm's tempos here are slower than some, especially the Allegros, but his sense of forward motion and phrasing do not make them seem overly long or tedious, as is the case with Bernstein's 1983 recordings, with the same orchestra (DG).
Symphony 1 is big and bold, and Bohm is not afraid to slow down for big moments, although he does not jerk tempos around for effect, as do some conductors. Symphony 2 seems more autumnal than some recordings, but is perfect in flow and pacing. Symphonies 3 and 4 sound beautiful, and are again on the moderate to slow side. These are all beautiful recordings, and I have the highest admiration for them.

DG waited a long time to release Karl Bohm's Brahms Symphonies, as they already had cycles by Karajan/Berlin (1978 and 1987-88, 2 different cycles), Bernstein/Vienna (1983) and Abbado/Berlin (early 1990s) in their catalog. But they have done a great job with this presentation, and the dismates: Haydn Variations, Tragic Overture, and Alto Rhapsody with Christa Ludwig, are all first rate and very beautiful.

One apt description for this release would be "think of Bruno Walter with a better orchestra." Since Bohm was Walter's assistant at the Munich opera in the early 1920s - the beginning of his career - this is an appropriate description.

Bohm is a master in this Repetoire!!.......2004-04-01

There is truly something special about the relationship between this conductor and this orchestra...Bohm has always had a special way with this music. Never does he allow technique overshadow the beauty and opulence of this composer's writing. The opening of Symphony No. 4 is breatheless in it's beauty and this sets the mood for the entire interpretation. The Vienna Phil has always sounded great but here it is UNBELIEVEABLE!! Take note of the wonderful way with the shaping of phrases. Never pushy or hard-driven, we have here Brahm's done in a way that is entirely devoid of sentimentality or glossy technique.

No. 1 was done by Bohm years ealier in Berlin and this 70s performance is very fine but with a more mellow cast. The octaves in the opening strings are incredible. The Vienna horns shine magnificently through this interpretation of the C minor unlike any other.

As for symphony No. 2 and 3 they are given incredibly warm and stylish readings. Bohm does not plow over the music with a heavy hand(Szell is too detached)...this is Brahms that is Alive and Majestic. The recorded sound is Excellent!

Classic Brahms symphonies; formidable musicianship.......2003-07-31

Over the years, I have variously been told I would outgrow Brahms, or at least see his music move to the margins of my active repertoire of current musical interests. Fortunately, this has not yet happened to be the case. Instead, I have become ever more fascinated by the music, in which Schoenberg could discern the seeds of his New Music, and for which the dreaded conservative critic of Vienna, Hanslick, was wont to do battle against the tilting windmills of modernity in that turn- of-the-century epoch, especially those dragons of Wagnerism! To understand how such different cliques could have made such disparate, yet passionate use of Brahms as a key exhibit in their culture wars, one only has to listen .... again and again and again. Notoriously self-critical, Johannes made considerable efforts to present and publish only his best efforts in all genres of music. He only wrote four symphonies, but what distances other symphonists have traversed in nine, or more; it seems Brahms could compress into just four. The point of all this is that Brahms is a complicated composer who manages to draw upon much that is old, even traditional; while at the same time he strikes open into new horizons, new vistas, and above all new musics. Mozart is said to have bragged in his letters that his music had something for everyone: popular appeal for the common folk of his day, as well as formal schemes with complications and depths that probably only the highly trained musical cognoscenti would hear. Perhaps something equivalent must be also argued for Brahms' music. Thus, a conductor who succeeds in Brahms is by definition capable of discerning the old and the new, while preserving in passionate reserve the distinctiveness of Brahms's musical speech. The reissue of this set of performances of the Brahms symphonies merits our attention, because Karl Bohm was renowned in his own lifetime for being a prince of Mozartians. Given the evidence in this recorded set, he clearly was also among the most noble, and most notable, of Brahms conductors. Another part of the golden, glowing quality in these performances can only have come from the vaults of that other treasury, the Vienna Philharmonic. Brass, woodwinds, strings .... no one has quite the velvety depths of sound, as well as the mountainous granites of height and power, like the Vienna band. Karl Bohm was alleged to be quite demanding, to get what he wanted out of an orchestra; yet these recordings provide irrefutable proof that both he and the orchestra could be united in musical warmth and intimacy with the challenging demands of Brahms four symphonies. Even a somewhat stiff, foursquare, formally reserved quality that sometimes arises momentarily in these performance, every so slightly apparent in moments of transition in the keys, as the musical narrative shifts and transforms within the musical structure, would itself be quite true to what we know of Brahms as a human being. You find yourself musing that surely Karl Bohm had some of those same, authentically gruff and rough-hewn qualities himself, not too glowing nor too proud or polished to be capable of reminding us in his musical manner that Brahms played piano in the waterfront establishments of Hamburg. Now those musical patrons were neither typically noble-born, nor replete with necessities much beyond those of working-class survival. These recordings are classics, and have merited praise since their first release. Mention must also be made of alto Christa Ludwig's Alto Rhapsody, along with the burnished Viennese sounds of the male chorus that accompanies her. Sorrow, regret, and transcendently spiritualized resignation go hand in hand in her performance of this odd work. Brahms said himself that he believe it to be one of the best things he had ever prayed. Hearing all, surely we agree. Get this set now. With the marketing kids running the show, it can just as easily disappear from the catalogue as it so quickly arrived. Highly, highly recommended.

Karl Bohm's Underrated Great Brahms Symphony Cycle.......2003-03-29

The 1970's and the early 1980's were a time when several conductors recorded distinguished versions of Brahms' symphony cycle; most notable of these are those from Karajan, Haitink, Bernstein, and especially Sanderling. Although the finest remains Sanderling's exceptionally warm, brilliant recordings with the Dresden Staatskapelle, a close second has to be Karl Bohm's distinguished recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic. This splendid cycle includes the best version I have yet heard of Brahms' 1st Symphony (though a close second may be Kurt Masur's Teldec recording with the New York Philharmonic). Bohm's account of the 4th Symphony is among the darkest, most brooding I have heard, only eclipsed by Carlos Kleiber's definitive account with the Vienna Philharmonic that was digitally recorded only a few years later. I disagree with a previous reviewer who contends that Bohm's tempi tend to be slow, especially in the 2nd Symphony. After listening to several distinguished accounts from the likes of Bernstein, Harnoncourt and Masur, I find that Bohm's tempi are among the swiftest, only surpassed in speed by Masur. Unfortunately the 2nd Symphony is the only "failure" in this set; yet it is a failure only when you compare it against distinguished recordings made by Haitink, Harnoncourt, Masur, and especially Bernstein. The sound quality is exceptionally warm and rich for late analogue recordings. And of course, at this price, Bohm's Brahms Symphony cycle must certainly should be regarded a steal. Fans of Karl Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic won't be disappointed with this impressive CD set.

Track Listings:

1. Bull: Profils
2. Camille Saint-Saëns String Quartets
3. Chopin: Nocturnes, Vol. 1
4. Classic Accordion
5. Crux
6. Debussy: String quartet in Gm; Beethoven: String Quartet No3
7. Deep Water, High Clouds: Tones & Tales of Piano
8. Feidman Plays Bloch/Olivero/Bar Chaim
9. Franck and Huybrechts: Sonatas for Violin and Piano
10. From Scotland With Love-Musical Landscape Paintings

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Extra Eye

Kaze No Ha

Legendary Eartha Kitt [Box set] [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Music: Best Songs for Little Champions

More Maximum: Marilyn Manson [Import]

Music Box/Rainbow [Import]

Papal Blessing/Ave Maria

Lovenstein: Blake Songs & Other Works, Vol. 2

Love Songs & Poetry [Import]

La Mision III: A Otro Nivel

Live 1981-82 [Live]

Little Red Songbook

Hard to Say I'm Sorry Pt.1 [CD-single] [Import]

Verdi: Overtures; Verdi-Mackerras: The Lady and the Fool

4-11-44