BaL 1.06.13 - Brahms Symphony no 2 in D

[cloughie]

Strongly seconded, although I'm not sure if the Kempe is still available on CD other than as part of a Testament set of all four. I have it in its HMV Concert Classics incarnation. I'd add Chailly/Concertgebouw to the list of modern alternatives (and highly recommend the Suk/Navarra Brahms Double Concerto - still my favourite recording)

It was XLP 30043, I think it is only in the Testament set which I have and it still sounds good.

[visualnickmos]

... you lose five points for not knowing Jean-Marc Ayrault; you lose fifty points for not knowing Αντώνης Σαμαράς; you lose twenty points for not knowing Manmohan Singh; you lose no points for not knowing John Key...

...and you gain 100 points if you can't be arsed about David Cameron

[Barbirollians]

Returning to the topic I listened to the Sanderling recording tonight . An exciting performance but rather tiring sound on my budget RCA Navigator copy.

[jayne lee wilson]

Returning to the topic I listened to the Sanderling recording tonight . An exciting performance but rather tiring sound on my budget RCA Navigator copy.

Yes, you need the Denon Mastersonic remaster, a snip at around £30 on Amazon...

[visualnickmos]

...the Sanderling recording tonight . An exciting performance but rather tiring sound on my budget RCA Navigator copy.

I sometimes love this Sanderling performance, and sometimes find it a little underpowered compared to Klemperer's which is as near to monumental as it is possible to get. I think JB would have approved!

[verismissimo]

Thought I'd give myself a treat by playing Leningrad Phil with Mravinsky at the Vienna Festival in 1978. But the slow bits were dreary and the fast bits frantic.

[Barbirollians]

Thought I'd give myself a treat by playing Leningrad Phil with Mravinsky at the Vienna Festival in 1978. But the slow bits were dreary and the fast bits frantic.

That sounds rather grim .

I decided to give the NYPO/Walter a whirl today . I see what makropoulos says about electricity but it was all a bit too high voltage and the recording sounds rather glaring mono to my ears . Very exciting but I prefer the Columbia remake unfashionable opinion as that may be.

[Barbirollians]

Have added the Ancerl to my collection . What a lovely record of the work - straight to the top table and coupled with what sounds like a complete classic of a Double Concerto with Suk and Navarra a very exciting rendition if not the most tender.

[Belgrove]

Following the numerous recommendations - for which many thanks- I have now bought and listened several times to the Jurowski, and it is very fine. This always seemed to me to be the Cindarella of the four symphonies until hearing the Abbado BPO version, whereupon the scales to drop from my eyes. But Jurowski provides an entirely legitimate, valid and satisfying alternative to Abbado.

I also like his accompanying Brahms 1 which is refreshingly brisk and lean, being devoid of the brown stodge that is often served up in this work.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

BaL 1.06.13 - Brahms Symphony no 2 in D

9.30am Building a Library
Stephen Johnson with a personal recommendation from recordings of Brahms' Symphony no.2

Available versions:-

BPO, Claudio Abbado (CD/DVD)
Utah Symphony Orchestra, Maurice Abravanel
LPO, Marin Alsop
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester des Reichschenders Breslau,Hermann Abendroth
Bavarian Radio SO, Sir John Barbirolli
BPO, Sir John Barbirolli
Boston SO, Sir John Barbirolli
Munich PO, Sir John Barbirolli
NYPO, Sir John Barbirolli
RPO, Sir Thomas Beecham
Boston SO, Leonard Bernstein
VPO, Leonard Bernstein (CD/DVD)
VPO, Karl Bohm
Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Marcus Bosch
LPO, Sir Adrian Boult (download)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Fritz Busch
WDR-Sinfonieorchester Köln, Semyon Bychkov (DVD)
Munich PO, Sergio Celibache
Philharmonia Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyi
Minneapolis SO, Antal Dorati
Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Eschenbach
Philharmonie der Nationen, Justus Frantz
Deutsches RSO, Ferenc Fricsay
BPO, Wilhem Furtwängler (multiple versions)
VPO, Wilhem Furtwängler (multiple versions
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Gielen
LSO, Bernard Haitink
Czech PO, Jasha Horenstein
Pittsburgh SO, Marek Janowski
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Symphonieirchesterdes Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
BPO, Eugen Jochum
RPO, James Judd
LPO, Vladimir Jurowski
BPO, Herbert von Karajan (CD/DVD)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Bavarian Radio SO, Joseph Keilberth (DVD)
LSO, Istvan Kertesz
VPO, Istvan Kertesz
VPO, Carlos Kleiber (DVD)
Berlin RSO, Otto Klemperer (downlead)
BPO, Hans Knapperstbusch
Munich PO, Hans Knapperstbusch
Stuttgart RSO, Hans Knapperstbusch
Suisse Romande Orchestra, Hans Knapperstbusch
Boston SO, Serge Koussevitzky
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Edouard Lindenberg
ASMF, Sir Neville Marriner
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg
Leningrad PO, Yevgeny Mravinsky
Boston SO, Charles Munch (DVD)
French National Orchestra,, Charles Munch
Philharmonia Orchestra, Vaclav Newmann (download)
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sir Roger Norrington (DVD)
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, David Oistrakh
Philharmonia Hungaruca, Libor Pesek
Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra Alexander Rahbari
Stuttgart RSO, Carl Schuricht
Israel PO, Giuseppe Sinopoli (DVD)
German Radio Saarbrucken-Kaiserslautern Philharmonic Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski
Cologne Radio Orchestra, George Szell
Netherlands RSO, Hans Vonk
New York PO, Bruno Walter
Philharmoniker Hamburg, Simone Young


THIS LIST IS FAR FROM COMPLETE. I HAVE TO DASH OFF TO WORK, AFTER WHICH I SHALL BE AWAY FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
Please fill in the missing recordings.
Sorry…

[Nick Armstrong]

LPO/Jurowski came top of the French critics' list after comparative listening, and is wonderful!

[Pabmusic]

Both of Dir Adrian's recordings are available;

1954 with the LPO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Symph...brahms+boult+2

And his 1970s recording, also with the LPO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Bach-Wa.../dp/B0084HGZKA
and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Vars-...boult+brahms+2

[seabright]

Stokowski and the National Philharmonic, recorded for CBS in 1977 when he was coming up to 95 years of age and described by Mortimer Frank in 'Fanfare' as "a great Brahms Second, one of the best in the catalogue." Reissued with the Mendelssohn 'Italian' (which was recorded a few weeks later) and still available on Cala, it has also appeared in the 10-CD Sony set devoted to Stokowski's Columbia Stereo Recordings ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Symphony-No-Mendelssohn-%5CItalian%5C/dp/B00005V8ZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369379408&sr=8-1&keywords=Brahms+Symphony+2+National+Philharmonic+Stokowski

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leopold-Stokowski-Columbia-Stereo-Recordings/dp/B0083D9MXM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1369379877&sr=1-1&keywords=Stokowski+Columbia+Stereo+Recordings+Sony

[Alison]

LPO/Jurowski almost certain winners.

[Tony Halstead]

Cleveland Orchestra/ Georg Szell