Search - Brahms, Concergebouw, Van Beinum :: Symphony 1: Alto Rhapsody

A feast of Brahms

jhorro | VA | 07/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This pulls together some great Brahms recordings from 1947, each distinctive. It is easy to forget that they were put to wax every five minutes and there is hardly any trace of surface noise. In the Alto Rhapsody, Kathleen Ferrier gives a glowing performance. Krauss is at one with this music and the condition of these London orchestras so shortly after the war is stunning. The symphony shows how great the Concertgebouw orchestra was before they became self-governing around 1952. Van Beinum was an exceptional orchestra builder, and at a time when Decca needed to make a name on the continent, they could not have picked a better stepping stone. Everything is to praise."

EVB'S BEST BRAHMS FIRST, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT

Mark E. Farrington | Albany, NY | 05/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We all know that Eduard van Beinum literally dropped dead in front of his beloved Concertgebouw, while rehearsing the Brahms First Symphony, on April 13, 1959. This, combined with the fact that he made three commercial recordings of the First, was probably why UNIVERSAL chose to include two of them in their new retrospective series (in both the Decca "Volume 1" box and the Philips "Volume 2").



To compare these three EVB Brahms Firsts is a fascinating project.



I find that the October 1958 Philips has the greatest precision and clarity of texture, the most beautifully recorded sound, and the least passion.



The September 1951 Decca (produced by the legendary John Culshaw) radiates the most energy and sense of purpose. Even if the new transfer is unpleasantly harsh and high-end-brite.



But the September 1947 Decca has the greatest beauty of tone, sense of "roundedness," warmth, depth and spaciousness. Hands down, it takes the cake. Not only is the early hi-fi "ffrr" sound incredible for its time, but the phrasing and continuity are much more "organic" than in the later two Firsts...This is paradoxically the result of having to record the whole symphony in 4 minute stretches (i.e., for the 78 rpm format), and therefore needing to concentrate "over the breaks." Dutton seemlessly joins the 10 original "sides," and restores a vision which had been lost to us for 50 years. Indeed, it's easy to pardon UNIVERSAL for not including it in their EVB boxes...With this magnificent transfer available, there was no need. In terms of both the transfer and the performance, one gets a sense of warmth and craftsmanship, as in beholding a fine, antique cherrywood love-seat- the rich sheen and masterful carving of the wood, the fabric, the curve of the legs, the dimensions and the comfort.



I leave others to rave in detail about Kathleen Ferrier's Alto Rhapsody (there is none greater), nimbly conducted by Clemens Krauss- as well as Krauss' Academic Festival Overture (which begins this collection). But the 1947 First and the Ferrier Rhapsody, together, are reason enough why any household with a CD player must have this disc...Bravissimo, Signor Dutton!"