Search - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler :: Brahms: Symphony # 1, Variations on a Theme by Haydn

The great 1952 Berlin Furtwangler Brahms Symphony 1 in good

Robby Sun | Bay Area, CA, USA | 01/31/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First some details about the performances in the disk:

Tracks 1 ~ 10: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op.56, Berlin Philharmonic, May 04, 1954, recorded at the National Opera Theater of Paris;

Tracks 11 ~ 14: Brahms Symphony 1, op.68, Berlin Philharmonic, Feb. 10, 1952, recorded live at Berlin's Titania Palast.



This 1952 Berlin performance, together with the 1951 Hamburg with the North German Radio Orchestra, are generally considered the finest complete Brahms Symphony 1 conducted by Furtwangler. The 1951 Hamburg can be found as part of the Music & Arts Brahms box, but the 1952 Berlin was not available in the US market for a long time --- until now.



To my ears, the 1952 Berlin is slightly less dramatic than the 1951 Hamburg; the tempi are slower and the timpani not as powerful. It is more introspective, and has a deeper sense of tragedy. Both are great performances that I treasure. If you love Brahms' music but have not heard this one, you have to experience it to believe.



For those who already have the 1952 Berlin performance issued by DG, the Tahra's sound quality is noticeably better. Whereas the DG issue has compressed and muddled sound, the Tahra sounds open and rich. This is especially true for the strings, where the warm tone adds an extra touch of the autumnal sadness. What's more, the annoying coughs from the audience are not as conspicuous as in the DG issue. The 1952 Berlin used to have inferior sound to the 1951 Hamburg. Not any more.



As a bonus, the Haydn variations included are from 1954 Paris, a real rarity.



Heartily recommended."