Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BRAHMS,J.
Title: SYM 4
Street Release Date: 05/12/1998
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Track Listing

1. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro non troppo
2. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Andante moderato
3. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro giocoso
4. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98: Allegro energico e passionato

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22272 in Music
• Brand: BRAHMS,J.
• Released on: 1998-05-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
A classic returns! Carlos Kleiber reportedly suffers from such nerves that he rarely manages the fortitude necessary to commit his interpretive thoughts to disc. That makes every one of his all too few recordings special, and this is no exception. Kleiber's Brahms is straightforward, rock steady, and superbly played. There are many versions of this symphony that feature more emphatic highlights and individual features, but few have the sort of cumulative power that carries right up to the last note. This one does. Kleiber's architectural grasp is especially evident in the finale, which, as a series of variations over a repeated bass line, is in itself a type of musical architecture. An unforgettable experience. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

A unique listening journey into the heart of darkness
Kleiber's interpretation, as always, is unorthodox and puts it in a different category from the rest--the Kleiber category. This famous award-winning recording is one to keep alongside the your other Brahms 4 recordings--perhaps not your main recording, just the most powerful and riveting. It's a cliche, but once you start listening, nothing can distract you from following Kleiber all the way to the end. However, if you are not already familiar with this piece, I would not recommend Kleiber as the introduction to Brahms Symphony No. 4. Get another one first and then compare it to this one. You'll then see how Kleiber chooses to forsake the Romantic librato altogether with his trademark "clipped" phrasing and instead draws the listener into the underlying structure. At first one might think this is a emotionally "detached" reading, but paradoxically, it is actually the most passionate performance available. The CD cover photo shows how Kleiber really got into the dark mood of this terrifyingly tragic masterpiece. This is truly a listening experience unique in the world of classical music recordings.

A powerfully compelling performance
The Amazon reviewer accurately identifies what makes this recording unique and indispensable with the phrase "cumulative power". No other recording I have heard is so compelling in this respect. The listener is caught up from the beginning and totally involved until the end. Kleiber does not attempt to soften or tame the music. Rather, he offers an interpretation that embraces the score in all of its awe-inspiring beauty.

Hard driven
I appreciate all the glowing reviews of Kleiber's version of the great Brahms 4. Nonetheless, I still believe his interpretation is too hard driven--not necessarily interpreted as some have done of the conductor's way with propeling the work. I think likewise there are "sunnier" elements in the score that need not be nail hammered.