Customer Reviews

Brahms: Symphonie No. 1; Beethoven: Ouvertüren Egmont & Coriolan

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The Brahms cycle played by Bernstein is one of the finest ever. I return again and again to this records and always get a big reward

I absolutely don't agree with Hurwitz's review. The Brahms is one of the best - the violins are virtually crying. Highly recommended.

For years I've been searching for a Brahms First recording that could match the quality of Serge Koussevitzky's fantastic recording from the 1940s. It's unfortunate that the sound of the Koussevitzky performance is so poor. Had it been recorded with today's equipment, it would blow away any other interpretation. This 1983 recording by Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic comes the closest to the standard set by his great mentor, Koussevitzky. Yet, Bernstein's approach is quite different from Koussevitzky's. Where Koussevitzky brings out the gypsy-like flavor of this symphony and does so with a perfectly executed, fire-breathing performance from the Boston Symphony, Bernstein opts for a more "refined" approach. This is not to say that Bernstein's vision lacks passion or fire. It has those qualities in abundance. The Vienna Philharmonic is is top form. I think Koussevitzky would have been very proud of his student's performance of this Brahms First. If there's any other "modern day" performance in the same league with Bernstein's, it would be the one recorded by Carlos Paita. Alas, however, while Paita's vision is perhaps the most original of all, the orchestra doesn't quite measure up to Boston under Koussevitzky or Vienna under Bernstein. So, if you want a top-flight recording of Brahms First that you can actually hear, Bernstein's the one.