Customer Reviews

Brahms: Symphony No. 3; Serenade No. 2 [Hybrid SACD]

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Haitink's critics have never been happy with his recessive podium personality, calling it bland and mediocre. But there are othes who love him for being the anti-Bernstein, relying on quiet musicality in place of showmanship. I often fall into that camp, but here Haitink goes too far. His live Brahms Third with the LSO barely exhibits an interpreatation. Haitink is doing more than sitck-waving, of course. He is gently shaping, balancing, and guiding.

Yet he does all three things so gently that it's hard to pay attention. I went back to his early Brhams with the Concertgebouw from the 1970s, expecting it to be much faster. But this London-based Third is surprisingly close to the early one. What's lacking is a convincing sense of drama, pace, and vitality. The orchestral playing is relaxed (how oculd it be otherwise?).

It's stingy to put each symphony one to a disc, but here we get the wonderful Serenade #2 as a generous filler. In his Philips cycle Haitink brought off one of the best performances ever recorded. He sitll has the knack--this reading isn't asleep on its feet like the symphony--but now it's 2 min. shorter--more "autumnal" as critics like to say when a good performance is underpowered.

Bernard Haitink's third recorded Brahms symphony cycle continues in this excellent LSO Live CD, recorded from concerts he conducted in 2002 (serenade) and 2003 (symphony). Brahms' Serenade Number 2 could be regarded as an early precursor to his symphonies, since it is a five-movement work. Here Haitink leads the London Symphony Orchestra in yet another excellent performance, noted for warm, rhapsodic playing from the string section. However, the best performance on this CD is that of Brahms' Third Symphony. This piece itself is a bit unusual for a 19th Century symphony, in the form of Allegro Andante Poco Allegretto Allegro. In its overall tone, the work itself is a bit "darker" than the Second Symphony, which many have regarded as Brahms' "Pastoral" symphony. Haitink excels in emphasizing the more melancholy aspects of the work, leading the London Symphony Orchestra in the best-conducted and recorded version of this symphony that I've heard so far, with the possible exception of Harnoncourt's Teldec recording with him conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Haitink's latest recording seems a bit darker than Masur's New York Philharmonic Orchestra recording from Teldec, and perhaps, Harnoncourt's as well. Having enjoyed tremendously Haitink's recordings of Brahms' symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra, I strongly recommend acquiring this recording in its hybrid SACD version.