Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3

$19.99 (SACD)

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Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 (more info)
Performed by: French National Orchestra Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra Concertgebouw Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra Philharmonia Cassovia Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra Berlin Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique Dresden Staatskapelle Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Composed by: Neville Marriner Johannes Brahms
Conducted by: Willem Mengelberg Marin Alsop Charles Munch Paavo Berglund Hans Vonk Kurt Sanderling Fritz Busch Otakar Trihlik Vladimir Jurowski Alexander Rahbari Neeme Jarvi Carl Schuricht Roger Norrington Wilhelm Furtwangler John Eliot Gardiner Marek Janowski
Recording date: 9 March 1990


1.   I. Allegro non troppo - 19:02
2.   II. Adagio ma non troppo, l'istesso ma gracioso - 9:13
3.   III. Allegretto gracioso (quasi andantino) - Presto ma non assai - 5:24
4.   IV. Allegro con spirito - 8:40


Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 (more info)
Performed by: Symphony Nova Scotia Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra Concertgebouw Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra NBC Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
Composed by: Neville Marriner Arturo Toscanini Johannes Brahms
Conducted by: Willem Mengelberg Marin Alsop Paavo Berglund Hans Knappertsbusch Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos Alexander Rahbari Georg Tintner Neeme Jarvi Michael Gielen Roger Norrington John Eliot Gardiner Marek Janowski
Recording date: 8 February 1941


5.   I. Allegro con brio - 12:58
6.   II. Andante - 8:11
7.   III. Poco allegretto - 6:25
8.   IV. Allegro - 8:54

Reviews

Is it heresy to not like Brahms? (Jan 18, 2008)
Reviewer:Jim Shine
I'm not a big fan of Brahms' orchestral music - it's hard to put my finger on what it is, it's just that the texture of it doesn't “sound right” in the way Beethoven or Mahler or Sibelius “sound right” - you know when there's something like a little flute trill and it just sounds like absolutely the right thing to have at that point, well I often don't feel that with... I'm not a big fan of Brahms' orchestral music - it's hard to put my finger on what it is, it's just that the texture of it doesn't “sound right” in the way Beethoven or Mahler or Sibelius “sound right” - you know when there's something like a little flute trill and it just sounds like absolutely the right thing to have at that point, well I often don't feel that with Brahms. Many will of course disagree, but there it is. Anyway, had I not been given a copy of this disc, I wouldn't have bought it - I have recordings of the symphonies already. So the test was, would Marek Janowski change my mind? My first reaction was no. Having been unimpressed by Symphony 2, I put on my Philadelphia/Ormandy recording as a comparison. A huge difference, thanks largely to the sound. The 60s recording is brash and full of body, while Pentatone's is smooth and to some extent homogenized, and significantly quieter. The end result is that Janowski's reading is more laid-back - which is a problem if like me you find the symphony rather dull to begin with. And yet, listening a bit more I found myself more receptive. Turning to Symphony 3, with an idea now of what to expect and with the volume cranked up a couple of notches, I rather enjoyed this one, although part of it is of course that I find it an inherently more enjoyable piece of music. Overall I'd give the album 3 and a half stars but I'm more inclined to mark up than down so 4 stars it is. If you don't have as many issues with the second symphony as I do then you'll probably like it more. (read more)