Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4

This 1993 box set Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 should satisfy most collectors' needs, mainly because of the performances' clarity and accuracy, though some may find them to be expressively tepid and little more than technically polished run-throughs. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra obviously knows these works as well as any orchestra and certainly could play them perfectly without prodding from a conductor. Barenboim's contribution is plainly interpretative, and his readings are conservative, calm, and controlled. He has ... Read More

This 1993 box set Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 should satisfy most collectors' needs, mainly because of the performances' clarity and accuracy, though some may find them to be expressively tepid and little more than technically polished run-throughs. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra obviously knows these works as well as any orchestra and certainly could play them perfectly without prodding from a conductor. Barenboim's contribution is plainly interpretative, and his readings are conservative, calm, and controlled. He has rendered the four symphonies with Classical detachment and a bare minimum of subjective Romantic involvement, and this intellectual approach may invite comparison with the poised performances by George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra. But for those who enjoy more personal involvement and warmth, Barenboim's set will seem emotionally uncompelling, uninspired, and merely serviceable for casual listening or reference. The Variations on a Theme by Haydn, the Tragic Overture, and the... Read Less

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Erato UPC: 745099481728 See All