Track Listing

1. Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: Andante
3. Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: Poco Allegretto
4. Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: Allegro
5. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro non troppo
6. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Andante moderato
7. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro giocoso
8. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro energico e passionato

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125572 in Music
• Released on: 1993-05-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
These faceless and uninteresting Brahms performances are, of course, very well played to the extent that the orchestra gives Herbert von Karajan the sound that he wants. There's a big question, however, if this is the sound that the composer wanted: string-heavy, thick, with much woodwind and brass detail obscured. Karajan wanted to be thought of as the Great German Conductor, but the truth is that he was a sensualist, more at home in music that relies on beauty of surface, as opposed to developmental logic. Brahms just wasn't his bag. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Excellent and satisfying recording
I was reluctant to pick up this CD, as I generally think of Von Karajan as the Great Teutonic Turtle. Just listen to his DG Ein Deutsches Requiem to hear what I mean. Sloooooooooow tempi. However, I was delighted to hear this CD, which features remarkably strong tempi. The Fourth, my favorite of all symphonies, is given a wonderful performance. Anyone claiming the brass is weak or muddled needs his ears checked. The clearest section in the entire recording is the brass. In the 3rd and 4th mvts, you can hear every note. The ominous trombone blasts in the 4th mvt are particularly startling. The balance of the sections, if anything, is too much brass. Regardless, these performances are far from lifeless. The Fourth has incredible energy and drive, and the perfect playing of the orchestra is to be treasured. There is intense drama, and the final coda will leave you breathless. Of all the post-1970 recordings of the Brahms Fourth, this is my current favorite. I am not as familiar with the Third, but so far I consider it a fine recording as well.

Nice Recording
... From what I've seen (and heard) so far, Deutsche Grammophon (DG) + Herbert von Karajan = a pretty good recording. I found both of Brahms' symphonies (3 and 4) very enjoyable and well-conducted.

As with the majority of Karajan's discs, this is a pre-digital recording (1978). DG, which digitally remastered the record, did (as usual) a pretty good job. But the recording was after all originally analog, and remastering cannot eliminate all of the background noise (fortunately, the background hiss is barely noticeable, even between breaks in the music). And sometimes, the overall sound is slightly muffled, as if trying to eliminate excess background noise has somewhat had a dampening effect on the recording. But again, that's not so unusual for an ADD disc (just a little bit more noticeable on DG discs versus those released by Philips, Sony or London).

Having said this, however, I still recommend this disc to anyone interested in Brahms. Karajan leads the Berliner Philharmoniker through two of my favorite Brahms' symphonies. Symphony 3, my favorite, sounds full and commanding (even if it sounds a bit heavy, which isn't surprising, since it's a Karajan recording). Symphony 4 is more energetic and suspensful; with each passing passage, you're just not quite sure what to expect next.

Overall, this disc was an excellent find. The conducting is fine, as is the recording's quality. Colin Davis' Brahams cycle on RCA and Zubin Mehta's on Sony (out-of-print, I'm afraid to say) offer better audio quality (they're DDD), but in terms of emotional expression, I think Karajan's interpretation of Symphonies 3 and 4 is the best. A good disc at a good price.

Sounds like good Brahms to me
Tear this recording apart if you must, but I personally found nothing disagreeable on this disc. Granted, I have not listened extensively to any other recordings of these two masterpieces, but here they sounded OK to me. Maybe if you want to please the critics, you should avoid this disc, but don't feel that you actually have to listen to the critics....