The Romantic Brahms is well observed in his many lieder, with their typically fluent melodies and rippling accompaniments. The pieces performed in these three programmes bear witness to the tremendous care Brahms took over the composition of these charming and simple settings. Liebeslieder Walzer (R0047.1) Volkslieder (R0047.2) Volkskinderlieder (R0047.3)
Lucerne Festival: Andris Nelsons conducts Brahms
Claudio Abbado himself chose Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody as the center of the opening concert 2014, and Andris Nelsons and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra probe its psychological depths – while further exploring the psychic landscape of this German Romantic’s music as expressed in the Second Serenade and the Second Symphony. —– PROGRAM: Brahms: Serenade No. 2 in D major op. 16 for Small Orchestra / Alto Rhapsody op. 53 for Alto, Male Chorus and Orchestra / Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73. (Cat. No. UNITEL: A955500030000)
Brahms: The Complete String Quartets – Belcea Quartet
Founded in London in 1994, the Belcea Quartet is now seen as one of the world’s most renowned string quartets. The quartet’s broadly based repertoire ranges from the works of the Viennese Classical era to premieres of contemporary compositions. Here the Belcea Quartet devotes itself to the three string quartets by Johannes Brahms: “The three quartets are of great beauty and refined sophistication, which never fails to inspire us”, says Corina Belcea. It is a beauty and refinement that radiates from the brilliant and nuanced interpretation to be heard on this studio recording.
Danish National Symphony Orchestra Nielsen – Dvorak – Brahms – Sibelius
The opening of Copenhagen’s new concert hall, the spectacular Koncerthuset, was celebrated with a very special project: to present their new home to a broad public the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Thomas Dausgaard performed four popular works within the classical symphonic tradition, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 (Length: 39’), Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (Length: 45’), Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 (Length: 49’) and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 (Length: 35’). Additionally, the performances were filmed on highest standards and with an extensive setup of cameras.
RCO: Gatti conducts Beethoven & Brahms
Outstanding German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, who has been performing regularly with the RCO since 1990, collaborates once more with Daniele Gatti to great acclaim. Within the lush, energetic melodies of Beethoven’s immensely popular Violin Concerto the solo violinist showcases his artistry. Under Gatti’s guidance, “the coordination between orchestra and soloist is especially fine” (Bachtrack). It is followed by Brahms’ First Symphony. It took Brahms at least 14 years to complete it, as he battled self-doubt, when comparing it to Beethoven’s symphonies. The audience, however, gave the work the highest praise by dubbing it “Beethoven’s Tenth”. Gatti gives the score a reading of high drama, leading the RCO to a most convincing finale. “In an onslaught of inspiration, all musicians climbed to a level you rarely hear … An unforgettable evening!” (Het Parool). PROGRAM: Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Brahms: Symphony No. 1
RCO: Andris Nelsons conducts Strauss and Brahms
In 2014, Strauss’s birth 150 years ago is being commemorated. Strauss was a champion of the symphonic poem, and one of his first works in that genre was Macbeth. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche followed soon after, fully revealing Strauss’s mastery in the sharp melodic characterisations and brilliant instrumentation. With its energetic and cheerful character (despite Till’s execution, which is vividly depicted in the music), the work complements Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, which is imbued with a sunny, lush atmosphere. The brilliance of the grand finale is a quality rarely heard in Brahms’s. (Cat. No. UNITEL: A865500160000)
Barenboim conducts the Brahms Symphonies
On the occasion of the Festival Barenboim in Buenos Aires, Daniel Barenboim returns to his native city to perform with the Staatskapelle Berlin the entire cycle of Johannes Brahms’s symphonies. In the concert hall of Kirchner Cultural Centre, the former main post office of the city, famous for its magnificent acoustics, Barenboim’s rendition of the Symphonies elicits “bravos and standing ovations in the audience” (Berliner Morgenpost).
Human Requiem
Human Requiem is a concert and dance performance created by German director Jochen Sandig and choreographer Sasha Waltz. It is based on Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, which Sandig followed to the letter and at the same time transformed into an extraordinary concert event featuring 60 singers of the Rundfunkchor Berlin, soprano Marlis Petersen and baritone Benjamin Appl, Angela Gassenhuber and Philip Mayers on the piano, as well as three dancers of the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests. Set at the ancient sanctuary of Eleusis, the performance becomes an open communal space of collective catharsis, where text and body, space and sound, merge into a single work of art. The production was awarded the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award, while the New York Times acclaimed it as “an anthem for our time”.
Thielemann conducts Brahms Symphony n. 2
The Vienna Philharmonic play a home game with Brahms’ D major Second Symphony. Every phrase had the combination of lightness, warmth, core and swell to make it feel ideally satisfying in a very relaxing-deep-in-your-belly sort of way. Paired with Christian Thielemann, one of the few conductors the orchestra allows to really lead and inspire them, they were completely in their element.
New Year’s Eve Concert 1979
Gaiety and temperament are the keynotes of this New Year’s Eve program with the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded live in Munich’s Herkulessaal on New Year’s Eve 1979. It begins with “Gaieté Parisienne,” an arrangement of Jacques Offenbach’s most popular operetta melodies. This is followed by a generous helping of central European esprit in the Slavonically inspired dances of Léo Delibes’ “Coppélia” ballet, and in the Viennese lightness of Franz von Suppé’s “Pique Dame” Overture, a delicious little work by the founding father of the Viennese operetta. Amilcare Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours” has delighted “promenade” concertgoers for years now – perhaps because it reminds us of his two great pupils Puccini and Mascagni? The luscious lyricism of the waltzes from Richard Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier” is dispelled by the solemn majesty of Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4.” From Victorian England we travel to Czarist St. Petersburg, to the magical world of Peter I. Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” And since all good things must come to an end, the Land of Sweets disappears under a vigorous sprinkling of fiery paprika in Johannes Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” which closes the program on a spicy note.