# SS 02.08.14 - Brahms #2



## realdealblues

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)*

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Adagio non troppo
3. Allegretto grazioso
4. Allegro con spirito

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues

I'll think I'll do a double this weekend as I have over 30 recordings of this Symphony.

One of two things I actually enjoyed from the late Claudio Abbado was his Brahms (the other being his Mendelssohn) so as I haven't listened to anything from him since his passing I'll go with this one.

View attachment 47817


Claudio Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Then I think I'll follow it up with this one as I make my way through the new Bernstein box set.

View attachment 47818


Leonard Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra


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## Jeff W

Oh boy, so many good recordings of this one and my favorite Symphony by Brahms to boot!















I seem to be making a habit of making twofers out of these as of late. I'll be listening to Herbert von Karajan leading the Berlin Philharmonic and Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony Orchestra for this one.


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## Vaneyes

From the sensational 1964 cycle.

View attachment 47860


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## Mika

Manze & Helsingborg SO


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## brotagonist

In the last few weeks, I have been listening comparatively. My CD version is:









Klemperer/Philharmonia

I will start with something from YT, however:

Bernstein/Wiener Philharmoniker

Depending on how eager I get, I might try other ones, too


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## Mahlerian

Jurowski with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for me this time.


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## DiesIraeCX

*Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony Orchestra 1952*
- Recorded 11 February 1952 
First issued as RCA LM-1731

Great sound for a 1952 recording, the entire cycle has been remastered by Andrew Rose at PristineClassical.
http://www.pristineclassical.com/pasc349.html


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## Itullian

My man Otto










And a very under rated set in fantastic sound.


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## nightscape

realdealblues said:


> View attachment 47817
> 
> 
> Claudio Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra


This one for me too.


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## Guest

Never knowingly heard any Brahms - except for the lullaby, of course - so trying Bernstein and the WPO.






On the basis of what I've heard so far, I can't see myself rushing out to buy it, but let's not be premature.


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## DiesIraeCX

MacLeod said:


> Never knowingly heard any Brahms - except for the lullaby, of course - so trying Bernstein and the WPO.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the basis of what I've heard so far, I can't see myself rushing out to buy it, but let's not be premature.


Give Brahms' 4th symphony a chance with Carlos Kleiber/VPO, you might go rushing out to buy it.


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## CyrilWashbrook

This is an old favourite of mine. It was one of the first pieces I played when I started in my school's symphony orchestra, and, as a cellist, it stuck very easily in my head. Giulini and the Wiener Philharmoniker.


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## Guest

DiesIraeVIX said:


> Give Brahms' 4th symphony a chance with Carlos Kleiber/VPO, you might go rushing out to buy it.


Thanks for the tip. Watching him with the Baerisches Staatsorchester at present.


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## omega

Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker (1989)


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## Alypius

*Eugen Jochum / London Philharmonic* (EMI, 2005) - a recording from the late 1970s


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## Haydn man

A personal favourite I was fortunate to see Karajan conduct the BPO in London in 1988 when they played this
What a band


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## AClockworkOrange

I have taken a break from my usual choices of Otto Klemperer, Claudio Abbado and Rudolf Kempe and listened to *Wilhelm Furtwangler & the Berliner Philharmoniker.*









For some reason, as much of a fan of Furtwangler as I am (very much so), I rarely listen to his Brahms. I don't know why because it is excellent but it is what it is. I suppose I enjoy it that little bit more because it is fresher but I do tend to prefer Klemperer here and he sets the bar very high indeed. I don't think Klemperer has been bettered in Brahms Symphonies.


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## TurnaboutVox

I'm not a great fan of Brahms but I thought I'd make an attempt. I chose this mono recording more or less at random because it came to hand on Spotify, but it has been a happy choice. I gather from reviews this has been seen as a masterful interpretation. The recorded sound isn't up to much, especially when things get noisy, but there is an interpretive clarity which I am appreciating, being apt to get lost in Brahms' complexity. More enjoyable than I had anticipated.

Interestingly DG's own website disclaims all knowledge of this recording.

*Brahms - Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 73*
Karl Böhm, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [DG, rec. 1956, mono]


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## Rhythm

Oh, how I love Brahms! My love of Brahms somehow feelingly connects with my love of Mahler, and if I were a poet or writer, I'm pretty sure I could describe how. Right now, though, it's the music that tells my story .

*Symphony No. 2 in D Major* *Op. 73* | Brahms
Istvan Kertesz conducted Vienna Philharmonic

*Score* pdf
I Allegro non troppo, pdf p 4
II Adagio non troppo, mark 19:46, pdf p 30
III Allegretto grazioso, mark 29:49, pdf p 39
IV Allegro con spirito, mark 34:45, pdf p 49​
Plus this next listen…

*Symphony No. 2 in D Major* *Op. 73* | Brahms
Sir John Barbirolli, conducted​


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## csacks

The beloved 2nd symphony. It is late down here, but it worth the effort to listen it just now
For this time, von Karajan and the BPO


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## JACE

I know I'm late to the party, but I thought I'd join in anyway. 

I love Brahms' music, and I think his Second Symphony is magnificent. I have vivid memories of hearing Brahms for the first time as an undergrad in college, more than 25 years ago. It was Brahms' Second as performed by Bruno Walter and the Columbia SO. It blew me away then, and it remains one of my very favorite recordings, regardless of genre.










This particular recording also ignited my appreciation for Bruno Walter's conducting.

Right now, I'm listening to a different version of the Second. This one is conducted by Eugen Jochum, leading the London PO.










Jochum's complete Brahms symphonies are part of this big box that just arrived in the mail yesterday.


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## Guest

As I've 7 days access to the BPO's digital concert hall, I thought I'd have a proper go at Brahms. I thought I'd try Paavo Jarvi conducting Symphony No 2.

As I sat, enjoying the first movement, I was slightly bemused at how modern it sounded. Look at all that brass - those four trumpets, I thought, and listen to those rhythms. As I didn't remember his 4th Symphony sounding so lively, I came back here to find a thread about Brahms and saw that I hadn't liked it last time I tried it. I couldn't think why I'd been so dismissive.

Then I twigged that I'd been listening to the Lutoslawski also on the bill :lol:. My excuse is that if you click on the link to the composition, it usually takes you straight to it - not just to the whole concert.

https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/51838

At least I now know to listen to more Lutoslawski - I'd never heard any before today.


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