Brahms Symphony No1

[Barbirollians]

Has a symphony ever been luckier on record ? I thought I had all bases covered with Furtwangler, Boult, Walter ( Col and NYPO), Jochum's lovely EMI account, Loughran , Sanderling ,the live RFH Karajan , Toscanini , Barbirolli , Abbado and Alsop and have got much pleasure from all of them probably Furtwangler most of all

Along then comes the Cantelli and it is like hearing it for the first time .

Which performance is your favourite and am I missing out on any other sensational recording ???

PS Not the Norrington/LCP - all over the place as far as my ears hear it .

When was it last on BAL ?

[makropulos]

Has a symphony ever been luckier on record ? I thought I had all bases covered with Furtwangler, Boult, Walter ( Col and NYPO), Jochum's lovely EMI account, Loughran , Sanderling ,the live RFH Karajan , Toscanini , Barbirolli , Abbado and Alsop and have got much pleasure from all of them probably Furtwangler most of all

Along then comes the Cantelli and it is like hearing it for the first time .

Which performance is your favourite and am I missing out on any other sensational recording ???

PS Not the Norrington/LCP - all over the place as far as my ears hear it .

When was it last on BAL ?

A few more to add to your excellent list:
Jochum (mono, DG)
Kempe/BPO (EMI)
Boult you mentioned, but I'd want the live (ICA) and studio (EMI and Pye) versions.
Mackerras (Telarc) including the reconstruction of the original slow movement as a fascinating supplement
and plenty of others...as you say, it's been pretty lucky.

Need to have another listen to Kertesz which I remember liking a lot but I haven't heard it for donkey's years.

[richardfinegold]

Has a symphony ever been luckier on record ? I thought I had all bases covered with Furtwangler, Boult, Walter ( Col and NYPO), Jochum's lovely EMI account, Loughran , Sanderling ,the live RFH Karajan , Toscanini , Barbirolli , Abbado and Alsop and have got much pleasure from all of them probably Furtwangler most of all

Along then comes the Cantelli and it is like hearing it for the first time .

Which performance is your favourite and am I missing out on any other sensational recording ???

PS Not the Norrington/LCP - all over the place as far as my ears hear it .

When was it last on BAL ?

You should add the Janowski/Pittsburgh SO account on Pentatone. The SACD recording is as natural a concert hall perspective that you will ever hear

[DublinJimbo]

You should add the Janowski/Pittsburgh SO account on Pentatone.

I'm delighted to see this mentioned. I've been recommending Janowski's Pittsburgh Brahms to all and sundry since first discovering it. Not just the 1st, but all four are wonderfully done.

[Bryn]

I'll second makropulos re. the Mackerras/SCO recording, though Barb's ears might be as all over the place with that as they are re. the Norrington/LCP.

[Hornspieler]

Has a symphony ever been luckier on record ? I thought I had all bases covered with Furtwangler, Boult, Walter ( Col and NYPO), Jochum's lovely EMI account, Loughran , Sanderling ,the live RFH Karajan , Toscanini , Barbirolli , Abbado and Alsop and have got much pleasure from all of them probably Furtwangler most of all

Along then comes the Cantelli and it is like hearing it for the first time .

Which performance is your favourite and am I missing out on any other sensational recording ???

PS Not the Norrington/LCP - all over the place as far as my ears hear it .

When was it last on BAL ?

The 1968 Boult with the LPO is very good

I played this symphony under Jascha Horenstein. What an experience! I don't know whether he ever recorded it or with whom.

HS

[Stanfordian]

In Brahms symphony No. 1 I admire most of all Otto Klemperer/Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI and Sir Simon Rattle/Berliner Philharmoniker on EMI.

[amateur51]

I reckon that in this symphony Furtwängler always has something to offer. There are several 'live' performances avalable with BPO and VPO but I'm currently listening on Spotify to one with the Concertgebouw in 1950 - full of idiosyncracies of course and certainly not a first choice but full of fabulous moments and he's just cranking up the final moments as I write - wonderful!

[BBMmk2]

I likethe Rattle too, Stanfordian. Also Szell, although, we have talked about it before, another board member, was sayinmg about the tempo here, in the first movement, was'nt quite right, rather too slow, ponderous even?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

And I'll third Richard and Jimbo in that recommendation for the Janowski/Pittsburgh 1. Of the others in my collection I would recommend Concertgebouw/Chailly.

[Roehre]

I reckon that in this symphony Furtwängler always has something to offer. There are several 'live' performances avalable with BPO and VPO but I'm currently listening on Spotify to one with the Concertgebouw in 1950 - full of idiosyncracies of course and certainly not a first choice but full of fabulous moments and he's just cranking up the final moments as I write - wonderful!

Ah, Brahms 1 as musical wallpaper then

[amateur51]

Ah, Brahms 1 as musical wallpaper then

Good Lord no, my arms are flailing about as I try to keep up with the maestro, the best indicator of his intended pulse being the stamping of his feet

[Beef Oven]

Good Lord no, my arms are flailing about as I try to keep up with the maestro, the best indicator of his intended pulse being the stamping of his feet

The mind boggles!

[amateur51]

The mind boggles!

My listening is often highly interactive, wallpaper having nothing to do with it

[Barbirollians]

Kempe is of interest to me - his accompaniment to Menuhin with the BPO in the violin concerto is magnificent.

I have a number of the Furtwanglers - the one in the EMI set is probably my favourite .