Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century)

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century)

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century)
Our Price: $69.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $22.22 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Conductor: Otto Klemperer
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus
Performer: Christa Ludwig
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2004-04-06
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Thema: Chorale St. Antoni
  2. Variation I (Poco Piu Animato)
  3. Variation II (Piu Vivace)
  4. Variation III (Con Moto)
  5. Variation IV (Andante Con Moto)
  6. Variation V (Vivace)
  7. Variation VI (Vivace)
  8. Variation VII ( Grazioso)
  9. Variation VIII (Presto Non Troppo)
  10. Finale (Andante)
  11. I: Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro
  12. II: Andante Sostenuto
  13. III: Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
  14. IV: Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro Non Troppo Ma Con Brio
Music CD 2
  1. I: Allegro Non Troppo
  2. II: Adagio Non Troppo
  3. III: Allegretto Grazioso (Quasi Andantino) - Presto Ma Non Assai
  4. IV: Allegro Con Spirito
  5. I: Allegro Con Brio - Un Poco Sostenuto
  6. II: Andante
  7. III: Poco Allegretto
  8. IV: Allegro - Un Poco Sostenuto
Music CD 3
  1. Academic Festival Overture Op. 80
  2. Tragic Overture Op. 81
  3. Alto Rhapsody Op. 53
  4. I: Allegro Non Troppo
  5. II: Andante Moderato
  6. III: Allegro Giocoso - Poco Meno Presto
  7. IV: Allegro Energico E Passionato - Piu Allegro

Music reviews of Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century)

Music Review: Rare Set
Rating: 5 Stars

These recordings are excellent Brahms. Klemp strolls through them without over romanticizing them or underestimating them. (One would expect that from Klemperer.) On one hand, it's definitely easy to over-romanticize this music, for it is lush stuff. On the other hand, it's too easy to push right through too rapidly and lose the tonal and layered subtleties of this complicated music. Klemperer strikes a great balance and does a solid job with these great symphonies. (If he made a mistake, he reserved it for the last movement of the 4th, where he just - apparently, arbitrarily -- decided to "mush the huskies on" quickly.) Currently I am relistening to the Toscanini/Philharmonia recordings of 1951 and the Solti/Chicago Symphony sets. (I will comment on them later.) With a solid job on these symphonies, Klemperer is a rare conductor. My experience has been that very few really understand Brahms. Few are as understandingly consistent with him as Klemperer. That is also why he cut such a great recording of the German Requiem, to which I still listen a lot. It is one of the great ones and well recorded.

I have listened to a lot of Brahms. For some reason I cannot warm up to von Karajan's Brahms, though it is said he considered himself the successor to Furtwangler with Brahms. I do not believe that anymore than I believe Furtwangler was THE conductor for Brahms. Certainly he was most capable, as was von Karajan. After considerable listening to Furtwangler's recorded and available Brahms, I have chilled on him because of his abrupt and unexplained tempo changes not only on Brahms, but also on Beethoven. And he was the Reichsorchesterdirektor, or something like that, even though I do feel more pity for him than I do for old Nazi von Karajan. Did HVK ever repent of anything?

Back to the point. I do admire Klemperer's Brahms. I recommend these performances for purchase simply because they are among the best. They are done by one of the better Brahmsians in the 20th century. I am not sure they should be "Great Recordings of the Century." Maybe so. If so, then I recommend EMI also bring back the Giulini/Philharmonia recordings of the 1960's and put them on the Great Recordings series. I have never heard a better Brahmsian than Carlo Maria Giulini. These Klemp recordings are very, very good, and they are among the best. But they are not my favorites. My own personal opinion is that I have heard no finer Brahm's conductors than Carlo Maria Guilini and Sergiu Celibidache.

Sometimes we fall into the traps of falling for the best marketed conductor and orchestra. Certainly Giulini and Celibidache are not. But their Brahms scintillates. It follows the conductor's directions and is very moving music. I believe Klemperer does us a great favor. He is well marketed and is a very, very good Brahm's interpreter and conductor. He gives us a well known and respected alternative to the BPO/von Karajan axis. These recordings merit a purchase. (And they are mostly in stereo!) My advice? You could wait a long time before a better balanced set comes along. Get them!
More Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century) free music reviews:
1 2 3

Description of Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Haydn Variations / Alto Rhapsody / Academic & Tragic Overtures (Great Recordings of the Century)

All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Classical CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapes ImageWinterscapes
by London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops: $6.99
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee ImageThe Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebee
by Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops: $13.98
Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr ImageClassical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs Cdr
Release date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos)) ImageTchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))
by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] ImageJose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]
Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops: $9.99
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] ImageTchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.89
Price in other shops: $29.95
Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] ImageRambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: $29.95
Winter Music: Composing the North ImageWinter Music: Composing the North
by John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.91
Price in other shops: $25.95
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImagePuccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops: $29.95
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] ImageVerdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]
Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops: $29.95
Similar CDs
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 & Double Concerto / Wagner: Prelude to Parsifal ImageBrahms: Symphony No. 4 & Double Concerto / Wagner: Prelude to Parsifal
Release date: 2010-03-30; Published: 2010-03-17; DVD
Best price: $17.05
Price in other shops: $24.99
Bruckner: 9 Symphonies [Box Set] ImageBruckner: 9 Symphonies [Box Set]
Release date: 2008-11-18; Music CD
Best price: $22.35
Price in other shops: $32.98
Tchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies ImageTchaikovsky: The Complete Symphonies
Release date: 2003-05-12; Music CD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops: $30.98
Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem ImageDietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
Release date: 2010-03-30; Music CD
Best price: $6.93
Price in other shops: $11.98
Dvorák: Symphonies 8 & 9 / Kubelik, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra ImageDvorák: Symphonies 8 & 9 / Kubelik, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
DVORAK,A.; Release date: 1996-02-13; Music CD
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops: $11.98
Brahms: The Symphonies ImageBrahms: The Symphonies
Release date: 2009-10-06; Music CD
Best price: $20.57
Price in other shops: $35.98
Tchaikovsky: Complete Symphonies ImageTchaikovsky: Complete Symphonies
Release date: 2008-04-29; Music CD
Best price: $22.72
Price in other shops: $44.99
Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos ImageBeethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
Release date: 2000-11-07; Music CD
Best price: $39.33
Price in other shops: $62.98
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 ImageBrahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
BRAHMS,J.; Release date: 1998-05-12; Music CD
Best price: $6.10
Price in other shops: $11.98
Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO ImageBrahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO
BRAHMS,J.; Release date: 1998-06-09; Music CD
Best price: $9.98
Price in other shops: $17.98
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles