Brahms symphonies Barenboim DG - a rave review can you resist ?

[BBMmk2]

Did you not hear the finale of the 2nd at the end of this morning's Sunday Morning?

Yes I did. That will be another set to buy!

[Stanfordian]

Did you not hear the finale of the 2nd at the end of this morning's Sunday Morning?

Thanks very much for that Bryn. I'll check it out when I get chance.

[oddoneout]

Did you not hear the finale of the 2nd at the end of this morning's Sunday Morning?

Yes I did. That will be another set to buy!

Interesting. I also heard it and thought 'sorry, don't like that'. I can't comment on the sound quality thanks to my current rubbish set-up, but I'm afraid the performance itself felt too 'choppy' for me - phrases not quite fully finished and a lack of cohesion.

[pastoralguy]

Interesting. I also heard it and thought 'sorry, don't like that'. I can't comment on the sound quality thanks to my current rubbish set-up, but I'm afraid the performance itself felt too 'choppy' for me - phrases not quite fully finished and a lack of cohesion.

Funnily enough, that was my impression when I heard it this morning 'blind'. I couldn't help but think that it wasn't as involving as my trusty old Loughton/Halle discs on CfP. I was quite surprised when it was announced as the new Barenboim recording.

[richardfinegold]

Interesting. I also heard it and thought 'sorry, don't like that'. I can't comment on the sound quality thanks to my current rubbish set-up, but I'm afraid the performance itself felt too 'choppy' for me - phrases not quite fully finished and a lack of cohesion.

I listened to the Second today on Spotify. My expectations were low, but while I wouldn’t rank this as one of my favorite Seconds, it far exceeded my low expectations. I sat through 2 pretty bad performances by DB of this work—once in the seventies at Ravinia, which I remember principally for the fine nap that I took, and once in the 90s, which was memorable for Yo Yo Ma, who had played a Concerto in the first part, sitting in with the Orchestra. Both performances were pretty blah affairs, with DB not seeming to have concept of where he wanted to lead the to. I didn’t get that impression today. There was some choppy, jerky jerky gear changing, but the performance worked in spite of it.
I have this Conductor/ Orchestras Beethoven set, which can be hit or miss, and Schumann set, which is really good. I just think that Brahms hasn’t been the Conductors strong suit and I really didn’t like the First from this set. I am sufficiently interested by this version of the Second to check out the rest of the set, at least while driving in the car.

[pastoralguy]

I heard the 3rd movement of the Fourth Symphony on 'In Tune' this evening from this new set and I was ever so slightly unimpressed. Now, admittedly, I was driving the car at the time but it struck me as slightly 'stolid'. A heavy 'Bulls blood' type of wine approach, imvho.

I'm listening to the Halle/Loughran recording just now and feel that this new Barenboim set is in no way superior. (Mind you, the horns of Barenboim's Orchestra are to die for!)

[Barbirollians]

Well it looks like one for the unnecessary list . Then again as I have furtwangler , both post war Walter sets , Sanderling ,Jochum,Loughran,Boult,Barbirolli Szell , Kertesz and Chailly not to mention individual Fourth's from Carlos Kleiber and Giulini in Chicago that goes without saying .

[Barbirollians]

Five stars from Jessica Duchen in BBCMM I see .

[Goon525]

Five stars from Jessica Duchen in BBCMM I see .

Although curiously, she likes the 4th best, which RO liked least in his Gramophone review. I’ve listened to all four via Qobuz, and would recommend them to those who like old-fashioned Brahms in a very tempo-flexible style. They are pretty good examples of this perhaps rather dated style - but I think I’ll stick with Chailly's Record if the Year set, which really lets the air into Brahms. By comparison, DB's textures are thick and frankly not quite so well recorded. Strings good, woodwind rather recessed.

[Barbirollians]

Chailly's set is terrific and aided by a wonderful modern recording - which I would say would give it the edge as a set for first timers in these symphonies.

[cloughie]

Chailly's set is terrific and aided by a wonderful modern recording - which I would say would give it the edge as a set for first timers in these symphonies.

...and of course it wasn’t his first time having had a dummy run with his Concertgebouw recording!

[Barbirollians]

...and of course it wasn’t his first time having had a dummy run with his Concertgebouw recording!

True - I only have the Second from that earlier set , which whilst being perfectly fine is not a patch on the Leipzig performance which is much better all round in my opinion.

[Goon525]

Although I’m about to watch P Jarvi conduct Brahms 2 live from Berlin on the Digital Concert Hall, I’d say there’s a reason why Chally's Leipzig set won Record of the Year - it’s darned good. Maybe one or two of the tempi are on the slightly swift side, but personally I prefer that to DB's hovering on the edge (though never quite over it, to be fair) of turgidity.

[BBMmk2]

Haitink’s recordings does it for me, every time!

[Goon525]

Haitink’s recordings does it for me, every time!

Paavo Jarvi was pretty good, slower than I’d expected, neaer Barenboim than Chailly, not quite in the top class for me (but beautifully played by the BPO). But I’m not about to argue with anyone recommending Haitink, I have his Boston cycle.