Just heard Maestro Markl conduct the exquisite Brahm's Third in Colorado a few weeks ago, and am delighted to hear this exciting interpretation of the First.The same qualities are in evidence here, a fullness in which the voicings of each instrument section are given exact expression, and especially Markl's attention to Brahms' lyrical genius so that the great passages for which the First is so well known really sing and we hear them anew.
Overall, this is a "Goldilocks" performance. The tempi are not too fast, or too slow, but just right. The phrasing and interpretation are not too romanticized, or too dry, but just right. In the last movement, each section and each tempo change flow organically from one to the other, until the final climaxes are almost overwhelming. I also noticed that every instrument and every musical line could be clearly heard throughout. A truly outstanding performance.