1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning, March 29, 2009
This review is from: Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (Royal Edition No. 20) (Audio CD)
Lenny's 1962 Brahms 2nd, the first recording ever made in what was then called Philharmonic Hall, has long been my favorite version on LP. This CD is very faithful to the sound of the LP, minus the surface noise. This is a muscular performance, with a string sound that digs in with a beautifully proportioned balance. Lenny takes the 1st movement exposition repeat, which was rather uncommon in 1962. Throughout, the wind and horn soloists offer playing of wonderful nuance and color, clearly taking inspiration from their leader. And he doesn't rush the coda of the finale, either. The 3rd was recorded in Manhattan Center 2 years later. Here the sound engineering is just as detailed, but with more bloom overall. The opening virtually explodes out of the orchestra. Once again, Lenny takes the first movement's exposition repeat. The third movement is more passionate than usual, with yearning string sound. And Lenny hits the second subject of the finale with an absolutely perfect tempo for the cellos, as the whole movement flows naturally to its conclusion. There are other great recordings of these works--I'm very fond of Cristian Mandeal in the 3rd--but I doubt there are any that are better.
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