Search - Brahms, Opo, Mariss Jansons :: Sym 2 in D Op 73 (1877) / Sym 3 in F Op 90 (1883)

Excellent All-Around

Scott D. Harris | Maryland, USA | 02/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mariss Jansons and the Oslo Philharmonic are not the first names that come to mind when I imagine a Brahmsian conductor or orchestra. After hearing this disc, however, that has changed. Both performances are very good, with the 2nd Symphony being excellent. Jansons omits the exposition repeat of the first movement but keeps the tempi at a rather stately pace, with horns prominent. The 2nd and 3rd movements come off just as well, and the 4th was almost perfectly paced. I was slightly disappointed with the less prominent horns in the Third Symphony, but once again this was only a very minor issue. The repeat is observed. I can recall few discs with sound quality on this level. Balances are nearly perfect and I found myself marveling more than once at the subtleties captured by the microphones, which are close but not unenjoyably so. Recorded at the Oslo Philharmonic hall in April of 1998, this disc is highly recommended."