BaL 1.06.13 - Brahms Symphony no 2 in D

[Hornspieler]

Cleveland Orchestra/ Georg Szell

Munich PO, Sergio Celibidache might also be in the frame.

'morning Waldie. Did you hear last night's Hallé performance?

HS

[vinteuil]

Roger Norrington with the London Classical Players on EMI. Symphonie nr 2 is coupled with the Tragische Ouvertüre.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Of the recordings I know of this Summer Symphony (and I don't know of any truly dire performances):

Historic: Furtwangler/VPO
Analogue: Loughran/Hallé
Digital: Abbado/BPO (if only, only, only he'd included the Expo repeat, this would be the best ever recording of the work: he and Furtwangler really expose every facet of the work, including the shadows that many others overlook)

... haven't heard any HIPP recordings, so will be listening out for recommendations of these.

(PS: Hmm; didn't include Szell! Should've: superb performance, very good recording. Boult's impressive, too. And Karajan with the Philharmonia. And ... well, I don't envy SJ.)

[salymap]

I don't know about recordings, but shall never forget seeing Furtwangler conduct this from high up in the RAH.

He really did appear to hold his neck/head on as Bertha Geissmar* says somewhere. Butglad I just caught him at the end of his life.

I would pick one of his recordings. * His faithful secretary/assistant.

[verismissimo]

.. this Summer Symphony (and I don't know of any truly dire performances)...

And ... well, I don't envy SJ.

So true.

Mackerras with the SCO? Very good (and not on Eine's list yet).

[verismissimo]

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

His live performances of Brahms are always exceptional, in my experience.

[vinteuil]

Those who like this work should also try Brahms's own arrangement for piano four hands - there is a fine performance by Silke-Thora Matthies / Christian Köhn on Naxos (vol 7 of their series 'Brahms Four Hand Piano Music', coupled with his arrangement of the 3rd Symphony).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Barbirolli also recorded it with the VPO (nla).
I saw him perform it twice. But Salymap seeing Furtwangler conduct eclipses just about everything else.

[aeolium]

There's also Kubelik with the Bavarian RSO. I don't know this recording but I did hear Kubelik conduct the work live with the LSO in the Barbican and they gave a superb performance.

[akiralx]

Digital: Abbado/BPO (if only, only, only he'd included the Expo repeat, this would be the best ever recording of the work: he and Furtwangler really expose every facet of the work, including the shadows that many others overlook)

He does - comes in at a few seconds under 21mins - how much more do you want?

[akiralx]

VPO/Bohm
VPO/Barbirolli (on Japanese remastered CD - you can also get it on SACD now).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

He does - comes in at a few seconds under 21mins - how much more do you want?

The Exposition repeat.

[Karafan]

BPO/Keilberth!

(Wasn't the Furtwaengler live VPO second recording in the Musikvereinsaal with the 'barbarians at the gate' in spring 1945, IIRC?)

K.

[jayne lee wilson]

How could anyone choose just one?!

Of the less-frequently promoted, here's a call for the golden, glowing, Czech PO/Ancerl (Supraphon Gold) and - at the opposite sonic and interpretative pole, Dorati/Minneapolis SO (Mercury).
Remain very fond of Berglund with the COE (Ondine), recall admiring the quirky Harnoncourt with the Berlin Phil (Teldec) and Kempe's earlier mono Berlin one, but haven't heard them for ages now... same with Mravinsky/Leningrad (1978 Vienna Festwochen live I think, Venezia) - a bit bathroomy but stunningly played with extremes of energy and dynamics.

But I mean, choosing one, honestly and truly....!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Exposition repeat.

I studied this work for A-level, buying the VPO/Kertesz recording for study. The were two things I cursed about this:
1. There was a touch of "wow" in the 2nd subject of the finale;
2. The exposition repeat. I'd heard it once. I'd analysed it and the sonata form process had led me to a new tonality. I didn't need to hear it again. (and, yes, I know Brahms wrote it, but that was in the days when recordings did not exist, so it made more sense to drill the basic material into the listeners' minds before going on to the exposition.