Search - Johannes Brahms, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Brahms: 4 Symphonies

Missing Karajan's Last 4th

kakistocracy | Omaha, NE United States | 11/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
Contrary to several reviewers' comments below, I find Karajan's 1989 performance of the 4th superior to the one included here from 1978. Contrasts are played up more, and there's a spellbinding sense of mystery and an inevitable organic flow among clearly delineated textures that lead to intensely wrought climaxes. By comparison, the '78 performance sounds forced and undifferentiated. In fuller passages the strings dominate to such an extent that the winds and horns are barely perceptible.



The reason I suspect that DG included the earlier 4th over the one from '89 is that the latter is two minutes longer, which would have made it impossible to reissue a complete set of the 1980's performances on two discs. (The second disc in this set totals 80'28.) No apparent re-mastering has been applied to the digital recordings.



Collectively, the 1989 Brahms cycle is Karajan's greatest; there are no weak links. I recommend supplementing the 4th here with the single disc issue from '89, assuming you can still find it used.

"

A well-packaged set, and at a decent price to boot

Joey Joe Joe Jr. Shabadoo | Boston, MA USA | 11/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen a lot of bashing of Karajan's Brahms interpretations, but also a lot of respect. Those who want "bold, imaginatively interpreted" recordings should look elsehwere. Typically, Karajan gave very straigtforward, hyper Romantic readings and was content to let the music speak rather than getting his fingerprints into every nook and cranny. Considering the beauty of the music presented, I find this approach much more appropriate than say, a Barenboim or a Masur. Karajan's less analytical approach certainly helps with such lyrical music. Just so it's clear, this is lush Brahms - pretty much the opposite of Szell's Brahms - with the edges slightly smoothed as Karajan was wont to do. I personally find this approach excellent for Brahms, but I'm sure there are others who disagree.

The Berlin Philharmonic plays magnificently and the recording has an honesty of sound that I have not heard elsewhere.

(a note about the recording: DG used a lot, some may say too many, microphones in their late 70s early 80s recordings. The result is an effect you will either really love or really hate. It has a lot of easily audible layers, but to some ears the recordings come off as harsh or dry. I happen to like the sound as I feel it adds lushness, but hey, judge for yourself.)

Another bonus is that DG removed that horrendous digital 4th symphony, which really was a disaster. The replacement, an ADD selection, comes from Karajan's last analog 1977/78 cycle. Again, sumptuous recording, with breathtaking crescendos. Basically - if you like Karajan's Brahms, then you should have this set in your collection.



Another set to consider is Abbado/Berlin. Truly magnificent, with a better 1st, but much more expensive.

"

Karajan's Final Brahms. Strong First, Great Second, Average

dv_forever | Michigan, USA | 02/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A quick note, the 4th symphony here is from Karajan's analogue cycle from the mid-1970's and the rest of the symphonies are digital, from his final 1980's cycle.



The 1st symphony here is very powerful, masculine, but it's still not as good as Karajan's greatest recorded 1st, the one available coupled with Schumann on DG Originals. That 1964 performance is just as powerful but has more warmth and the sound is superior to this digital version. You have to hand it to DG, they did a great job remastering these digital recordings but I still prefer the 1964 1st Symphony.



The 2nd Symphony however is possibly Karajan's greatest performance of this vibrant and sunny Brahms work. A must own!

Can't say the same for the 3rd Symphony, Karajan rushing the first movement and no exposition repeat, the rest of the performance is not very successful either. Then we have the Karajan performance of Brahms's 4th, which comes from the 1970's cycle. You might ask why DG did not release the 4th from the digital cycle like the rest here. No, they're not messing with your head, it's just that the digital 4th is kinda slow and would not fit on this 2CD reissue. So the geniuses at DG simply took the slightly faster Karajan 4th from the analogue cycle and coupled it here with Symphonies 1-3 from the digital one, so it all fits perfectly on 2 discs.



I heard the digital Karajan 4th and it's not as good as the 4th you'll be getting here, so don't worry about it. The 4th you'll be getting here is strong, very dramatic and almost as good as the famous Carlos Kleiber version and that's saying a lot!



This set is recommendable for Karajan fans even though I do prefer Karajan's earlier 1st and 3rd Symphonies but you will be getting his best recordings of the 2nd and 4th if you buy this 2CD set."