Suggestion for Brahms

Kathleen Ferrier's performance of the Alto Rhapsody... I had forgotten I was looking for that one. Thanks Al.

I'm a Kathleen Ferrier fan, not a big Brahms fan, but I would recommend this music and performance:

Sonatas Op. 120, Scherzo

These are the viola version (Brahms also wrote a version for clarinet) and the performance by Ursula Oppens is passionate and intense.

For the First Piano Concerto, my top choice is the superb Curzon/Szell/London Symphony performance on London/Decca. Another very fine version is with Serkin/Szell/Cleveland Orch. on Sony(cd) or Columbia(vinyl lp).

In the Second Piano Concerto, the Serkin/Szell/Cleveland is, I feel, a classic.

Try also the wonderful Double Concerto with Heifetz, Piatigorsky and Wallenstein on RCA or the Schneiderhan, Starker and Fricsay on DG.

Excellent complete sets with The Four Symphonies include any of the following: Klemperer/Philharmonia Orch. on EMI, Solti/Chicago Symp. on London/Decca and the more recent Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic on EMI. Some outstanding individual renditions other than some of those from the above sets include: Symphony #1---Walter/Columbia Sym. on Sony Symp.#2---Kertesz/Vienna Phil. on London vinyl lp because the cd is currently out of print. Symp.#3---Jochum/London Symphony on EMI. Symp.#4---Reiner/Royal Philharmonic on Chesky. If you don't mind monophonic sound, the Jochum/Berlin Philharmonic set of the Four Brahms Symphonies on DG Originals is marvelous, and its sound is really quite good.

Brahms' Violin Concerto: Either of these two are gems: Heifetz/Reiner/Chicago Symphony on RCA or Oistrakh/Klemperer/French Nat'l Radio Symp. on EMI.

Try at least one of his chamber pieces. The Clarinet Quintet brims with an autumnal presence. The interpretation by Karl Leister with the Leipzig String Quartet on the MD&G label is glorious.

I'd also like to suggest you listen to a different but very satisfying work by Dvorak, a composer who was a good friend of Brahms: Symphony No. 8, with Istvan Kertesz conducting the London Symphony Orchestra on London/Decca or Rafael Kubelik conducting the Berlin Philharmonic on DG.

I would agree with those who suggest that the best performances on LP are not necessarily the ones with the best sonics. For instance, a great many orchestral musicians will tell you that one of the definitive performances of the four symphonies is the old Szell/Cleveland set, released on CBS Great Performances, which are not exactly known for their sonics. But those performances are superb.

I don't agree that you have to put sonics aside for good Brahms. Some of the great Brahms recordings were made in the "Golden Age". (If you need multi-channel recordings or freak out at the merest hint of tape hiss, this might not be the case.)

A case in point is Bruno Walter's last Brahms Symphony cycle. These have always sounded good.

I agree wholeheartedly with Daverz' praise for the Brahms Symphonies conducted by Bruno Walter with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. I did not mention them in the entire set versions above because, as far as I know, they are not available in the same single package cd format as the Klemperer, Solti and Rattle compilations. Notwithstanding, I much prefer lp vinyl, and enjoy immensely the Walter and Klemperer sets/performances in that format. Incidentally, in any recommendations I ever make, my top consideration reflects interpretation(though I realize its personal or subjective nature). I make exceptions to that "rule" only if I consider the recorded sound to be irritating(usually, too bright or strident).