VPO Brahms Cycles

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... I am very fond Oct he Schumann set he made with the VPO and his late Sibelius 1 too.

I saw Bernstein conduct the Vienna Phil in a stunning Schumann 4 in the RAH in 1971. A group of us went backstage to see him after the performance. He was very friendly and welcoming, but couldn't chat for very long, as he'd been invited to 10 Downing Street by Prime Minister, Edward Heath.

[akiralx]

Perhaps the worst thing that happened to the VPO was the steady move away from Decca. The orchestra was under exclusive contract with Decca and a constant stream of fine recordings came from this partnership during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. But once DG got in on the act, their recorded sound was detrimental to the unique Vienna Philharmonic qualities, making their playing sound thick and muddy. In the case of Brahms symphonies, the Bernstein DG recordings are actually rather better, possibly because these were not recorded in the Musikverein, a venue that DG has never seemed to get quite right.

Was this change perhaps more to do with the move away from the Sofiensaal as a venue rather than the change of record company?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Was this change perhaps more to do with the move away from the Sofiensaal as a venue rather than the change of record company?

Possibly, but Decca continued to record with the Vienna Philharmonic, replacing the Sofiensaal with the Konzerthaus, and the results were still extremely good. EMI produced a second VPO/Karajan Aida in the Musikvereinsaal, and this had good open sound. Decca even made a few live recordings there.

But I admit the Sofiensaal was in a class of its own.

[mathias broucek]

I do not know those VPO / Bernstein recordings - I am very fond Oct he Schumann set he made with the VPO and his late Sibelius 1 too.

Another vote for Schumann and Sibelius 1. His VPO Mozart is excellent too

[richardfinegold]

Another vote for Schumann and Sibelius 1. His VPO Mozart is excellent too

Have to say that I’m really enjoying the Bernstein/VPO. It clearly won’t be ever ones cup of tea, and won’t be my Desert Island Brahms, but even the slowest parts have a rapt intensity. The String Concerto disc is excellent.
I’ve ordered the Bernstein/VPO Beethoven set on Blu Ray