Customer Reviews

Brahms: Alto Rhapsody / Symphony No. 2, Opp. 53,73

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Abbado proves again in this recording that he is the world's foremost interpreter of Brahms. He and his great orchestra create an incredible lush sound that is perfect for Brahms. The first movement is achingly beautiful and the finale is thrilling, despite the fact that the speeds are somewhat relaxed. My only reservation when it comes to this cd and the others in the set is that there is a little too much echo in the recording. While on the one hand this adds to the richness of the sound, on the other hand it sacrifices a degree of clarity at some points. The beautifully-sung Alto Rhapsody is a great bonus, and the Variations on a Theme by Haydn (that isn't really by Haydn) is also richly played. On the whole, a great cd.

In the modern era, with such good orchestral musicians everywhere, it's hard to find a bad Brahms Second. This one takes off in the last momvement after more or less coasting through the first three. The opening minutes foretell the rest, with Abbado's soft-grained rhythms, smooth sonority, and lack of strong emphasis. Even when he's doing a very good job at balances and the Berliners are playing gorgeously, Abbado tends to be foursquare in his approach to Brahms, and that can be pretty detached, as witness most of this CD. The best that can be said is that it's melifluous (to a fault) and represents a band of world-class musicians.

Lipovsek had a short-lived fling at recording, although given her sharp tone, Slavic shrillness on top, and absence of interesting ideas, I don't quite see why she achieved any prominence. Here in the Alto Rhapsody she is cautious and underpowered, which isn't competitive in a work that has seen glorious performances from Ferrier, Ludwig, and Baker.

P.S. 2012 - At amazon you take your lumps, for the most part, because you don't award enough stars to please the crowd, but on relistening to this Brahms Second, I feel that I lived up to my obligation to describe a performance with some objectivity.