Brahms Serenades Nos.1 & 2

[Nick Armstrong]

[pastoralguy]

Thanks very much for your support, pastoralguy!
The fact is that this particular 'rude mechanical' was/ is a highly respected lady violinist who is a 'co-leader' of the orchestra in question ( the 'official' orchestra leader was playing the Dvorak violin concerto in these concerts, so N/A for the Brahms Serenade in the 2nd half of the concert).

This whole, current, somewhat obsessive 'democracy thing' has resulted in 'Concertmasters / Concertmistresses' somehow feeling that they now have the power and the authority to tell conductors how they should be conducting, what tempi they should be choosing etc.
Very sad indeed...

I started my response a bit tongue in cheek but the more I think about...


Could your imagine...

George Kulenkampf saying that to Furtwangler?

Michael Schwalbe saying that to Karajan?

John Corigliani saying it to Lenny in New York?

Michael Davis saying it to Abbado?

Josef Gingold saying it to Toscanini!?

Willi Boskovsky saying it to Karl Bohm?

Rainer Kuchel saying it to Bernstein?

Iona Brown saying it to Marriner?

Hugh Bean saying it to Guilini or Stowkowski?

John Georgiadis saying it to Previn?

Rodney Friend saying it to Sir Adrian?

Felix Kok saying it to a young Rattle?

Norman Carrol saying it to Muti?

Edwin Paling saying it to Jarvi?

Christopher Warren Green saying it to Sanderling?

David Nolan saying it to Tennstedt?

Joseph Silverstein saying it to Ozawa?

Oscar Lampe saying it to Beecham?

Paul Beard saying it to Boult?

Danial Strabrawa saying it to Sir Simon Rattle?



I think I would have called the orchestral manager and INSISTED on a three hour first violin sectional at 8' o' clock the following morning. And all players should be prepared to play on their own with alternative bowing and fingerlings at the ready!

[Barbirollians]

There is the story of Celi conducting Anne Sophie Mutter in the Sibelius concerto . In rehearsals she thought he was going too slowly ( maybe this was the Ida Haendel tempo ) and he speeded up . In concert he reverted to the slow tempi to her great annoyance throughout the first and second movements - so when she got to lead in the finale she went like the clappers and he had to keep up .

[richardfinegold]

A few days ago I was listening to the Masur disc on Pentatone. I enjoyed it but no one seems to have endorsed it here.

[kea]

Andreas Spering & the Capella Augustina are currently my 'reference' for these two works, and I will recommend them without any other reservations (it's a very good recording in every respect), but I don't know any of the bigger-name conductors here. The Mackerras option sounds most appealing at the moment.

[makropulos]

Andreas Spering & the Capella Augustina are currently my 'reference' for these two works, and I will recommend them without any other reservations (it's a very good recording in every respect), but I don't know any of the bigger-name conductors here. The Mackerras option sounds most appealing at the moment.

Thank you very much for drawing attention to this - I haven't heard it and would love to have a version of the serenades on period instruments. Must give this a try.

[kea]

I am listening to it now & would describe it as swift, spare, strong and springy, which suits the quality of the music very well (in spite of whoever said Brahms ought to be autumnal). Almost 'neoclassical' if one can lavish that term upon music composed in the 1850s, like a revival of the emotional effect of Mozart and Haydn in an entirely new syntax. I picked Spering by sampling recordings on Naxos Music Library, where it grabbed me in a way others didn't; it was only after actually buying it that I noticed it was on period instruments >.> I am a sucker for period instruments though, shouldn't be surprised.

[gurnemanz]

I have the Boult mentioned above which is also on this highly recommendable set. Checking my shelves, I find that no 2 is on the large Arturo Toscanini RCA box. I've just played it - an NBC broadcast from 1942 in slightly harsh sound, but really enjoyable.

I note there is an earlier recording with both of them

[BBMmk2]

There are three versions that tke to me. The Mackerras, Abbado & Kertesz.

[Barbirollians]

Have been listening to Kertesz's Brahms a lot recently and the performances of the serenades are magical and the symphonies are damn good too .

[Gordon]

I started my response a bit tongue in cheek but the more I think about...


Could your imagine...

George Kulenkampf saying that to Furtwangler?

Michael Schwalbe saying that to Karajan?

John Corigliani saying it to Lenny in New York?

Michael Davis saying it to Abbado?

Josef Gingold saying it to Toscanini!?

Willi Boskovsky saying it to Karl Bohm?

Rainer Kuchel saying it to Bernstein?

Iona Brown saying it to Marriner?

Hugh Bean saying it to Guilini or Stowkowski?

John Georgiadis saying it to Previn?

Rodney Friend saying it to Sir Adrian?

Felix Kok saying it to a young Rattle?

Norman Carrol saying it to Muti?

Edwin Paling saying it to Jarvi?

Christopher Warren Green saying it to Sanderling?

David Nolan saying it to Tennstedt?

Joseph Silverstein saying it to Ozawa?

Oscar Lampe saying it to Beecham?

Paul Beard saying it to Boult?

Danial Strabrawa saying it to Sir Simon Rattle?



I think I would have called the orchestral manager and INSISTED on a three hour first violin sectional at 8' o' clock the following morning. And all players should be prepared to play on their own with alternative bowing and fingerings at the ready!

Let alone Klemperer!

PS have had the Kertesz versions of the Serenades since they came out on vinyl all those years ago. Excellent!!

[Stanfordian]

Ok boarders. Bbm on the trawl again!

This time Brahms's two magnificent serenades. Recently I have heard clips of the new Chailly recording. But I have also been looking at others and yes that Abbado twofer from DG has cropped up! I am just thinking of others, like the Mackerras for instance?

Hiya Maestro,

With Brahms's pair of Serenades I would go for the 2014 released accounts from Riccardo Chailly with his Gewandhausorchester Leipzig on Decca.