BaL 5.10.24 - Brahms: Symphony 1

[Ein Heldenleben]

Although I don’t think for a second that BAL reviewers are under pressure to choose new releases it is absolutely the case that the PR industry has a questionable influence on the media generally and Radio 3 is no exception. The PR people and agents control access to their clients ensuring that it always coincides with a new book or release . And if you turn them over (to use the vulgar media slang ) you don’t get a second invite . Ok most classical musicians aren’t villains -but just occasionally perhaps the odd assertion could possibly be challenged ?
Ask yourself when was the last time you heard a challenging or even remotely critical interview on Radio 3 ? The last one I heard was Sean Rafferty tackling the Chief exec on the cuts at WNO. He’s an old Northern Ireland current affairs hand - nobody’s fool -and guess what they are side lining him!

[Barbirollians]

As insomnia strikes I thought I would look up when the other Brahms symphonies were last on BAL - obviously no 3 was on earlier this year but it’s first since 2008 .Brahms 2 Jurowski won in 2013 but Brahms 4 apparently not since 2006 yet we get Brahms 1 again after only six years all very odd.

[smittims]

oliver says ' I love the Furtwangler but I'm happy to admit that in many respects it's not really Brahms'.

You won't be surprised to see that I disagree entirely! I think Furtwangler's Brahms is utterly in the spirit of the composer. I was thrilled with the 1952 Vienna recording when it was issued on LP in the 1980s. I also like the published RCA Toscanini from a similar vintage (Carnegiie Hall 6/11/51) , though there's another fine one from May 1940. I think they're both echt-Brahms.

[LMcD]

Ask yourself when was the last time you heard a challenging or even remotely critical interview on Radio 3 ?

Such a thing would hardly sit well with what comes across, at least to me, as the new soothing, relaxing, welcoming Radio 3. Everything now seems to be 'amazing'.

[oliver sudden]

oliver says ' I love the Furtwangler but I'm happy to admit that in many respects it's not really Brahms'.

You won't be surprised to see that I disagree entirely! I think Furtwangler's Brahms is utterly in the spirit of the composer. I was thrilled with the 1952 Vienna recording when it was issued on LP in the 1980s. I also like the published RCA Toscanini from a similar vintage (Carnegiie Hall 6/11/51) , though there's another fine one from May 1940. I think they're both echt-Brahms.

Performance practice is a bit like a funeral sometimes… (is it what he would have wanted?)

[Barbirollians]

Performance practice is a bit like a funeral sometimes… (is it what he would have wanted?)

Isnt there the story of two ensembles playing a piece of his chamber music to him in the 1890s and he praised both highly despite the performances being completely different?

[Barbirollians]

oliver says ' I love the Furtwangler but I'm happy to admit that in many respects it's not really Brahms'.

You won't be surprised to see that I disagree entirely! I think Furtwangler's Brahms is utterly in the spirit of the composer. I was thrilled with the 1952 Vienna recording when it was issued on LP in the 1980s. I also like the published RCA Toscanini from a similar vintage (Carnegiie Hall 6/11/51) , though there's another fine one from May 1940. I think they're both echt-Brahms.

I agree - I recall , and I am sure I have mentioned this before a discussion on Record Review in the 1980s when a Brahms Furtwangler 1 was released , it could have been either the BPO or VPO ( probably the latter ) when one of the attendees who was teaching at one of the big music colleges said that playing it to a group of students who were very down on Brahms had had a rather a Damascene effect on many of them . Perhaps Oliver will say that's because it wasn't Brahms

[silvestrione]

Performance practice is a bit like a funeral sometimes… (is it what he would have wanted?)

Do you mean Furtwangler ignores tempo indications and expression marks, etc.? I have not heard that stressed much before (I'm not a score-follower). If you mean anything less tangible, I would say, it's unknowable.