Repertoire: The BEST Brahms Symphony Cycles, Bar None! 

Whenever I hear David say, "and this may come as a surprise..." I know it's Karajan time! Ha ha.

Maybe I am insane but Brahms is my favorite, his music just speaks to me

Jochum is just great. Especially the LPO cycle which is more organic for my taste, like he got everything right and balanced and put in all his experience and wisdom. Masterful! And he also seems to have been a very kind human being.

I own both the Karajan and Solti cycles (on vinyl). I enjoy them both, however, I really love the sound of the CSO recordings. The London engineers captured a warm and very beautiful sound. Both orchestras play superbly.

I must say, David, I love these videos. It is so enjoyable to hear an informed person talk about a thing that they love. I don't agree all the time (how boring would that be?), but I have taken your advice and added many a single recording. and set to my collection because of your videos. In these miserable times, it is great to spend time hearing someone talk about something they (and I) love...

So many incredible recordings of these symphonies. One that comes to mind that was not mentioned: Rudolf Kempe! A truly monumental set with Berlin Philharmonic on Testament label.

The Abbado digital cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic has really grown on me. The sound is gorgeously transparent. I bought it after once owning the Abbado symphony box set on vinyl recorded with four different orchestras.

I have the Solti - Chicago Symphony BRAHMS discs in my collection. I bought this version because Sir Georg takes all the repeats in symphonies 1, 2 & 3. Some of you may not like this, but I enjoy it, just like when the repeat is done in the first movement of Dvorak's: Symphony No. 9 (The "New World"). I agree with Dave, the Solti on London/Decca does sound marvelous.

Jochum was my favourite conductor when I lived in Berlin and was able to hear him live a few times, notably in a stunning Brahms 4. Love his recordings of the Brahms cycles. I also like Skrowaczewski with the Halle, which rarely gets a mention. And lots of others...

Yes! Finally Brahms cycles, which is one of the subjects I've been really waiting! And I'm glad that most of my favorite cycles are in your list. Brahms is the composer who got me into the world of classical music, so I've been trying to listen to his symphony cycles as many as I can. But recently, I feel like I repeatedly go back to Dohnanyi cycle and Jochum/LPO cycle. Completely different styles but I guess these are my top 2!

When I bought my first Brahms cycle, there was Jochum, Karajan , Celibidache in the bins of my retailer. I bought Jochum and I was fascinated. Then I bought the CElibidache and the Karajan from the 60's. Then came Bohm, Klemperer, Haitink, Giulini. And Munch (that I copied from the radio) . And JOchum is still my favorite. And Bohm is my second choice.

That perfect balance between entertainment and information that I so enjoy about your videos... thanks so much!

Great to see Dorati mentioned there. I remember back in the noughties when I first discovered Dorati and his Mercury recordings. I was in my teens and I tried to get as many I could but they were in short supply here in the UK. So I ended up regularly purchasing from Tower Records online from the US and this was one set I bought. It's a great cycle! Totally agree about Mackerras' set also, superb! Dohnanyi too - he did them again with the Philharmonia too on their own label, which are also really good. As for the best of the best... 💯 with Klemperer and Jochum! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I agree completely with your assessment of Jochum, and I'm so glad you included both of his sets. No matter how many different recordings I hear of these great works, I always come back to the opening bars of his Berlin Fourth when I need some musical balm for my tired soul.

Thank you for putting me on the track of Klemperer's Brahms symphonies. Have just listened to it and it is magnificent. I have a been an admirer of Klemperer for many years now and have his excellent 3rd symphony in my collection. But for some reason I never got around to investigating the rest of his Brahms symphonies as well - I have clearly missed out, but is going rectify that now.

You have kindly endorsed my current collection of the Jochum, Walter, and Levine sets, while providing some ideas going forward if I choose to expand my collection. Thank you for another enlightening review of great performances.

I'm glad you mentioned the Sanderling/Staatskapelle Dresden on Eurodisc, as I have that and it's a particular favorite. Largely overlooked -- as is Maazel's great '76-'77 Cleveland set on Scribendum. I would also not be without Furtwangler, but concede your point that he doesn't know what to do with the Third.

Wow Jochum - just heard the 1st Symphony - what a sizzler! completely overlooked these recordngs, even (especially) in the '60s!

Very happy to be in agreement with ALL your recommendations (and to have them!)

Dave - I learned about the Janowski (Pittsburgh) cycle from your website and I am thrilled with it! There is something about his sound balance and sense of rhythm; his recordings have made me listen to Brahms with totally fresh, excited ears (esp. the low registers). Also, the recommendations in this video are great so far. I am checking out Dohnanyi next!

Absolutely masterful and scholarly analysis....thank you Dave.

I’m enjoying your videos and learning from you knowledge and opinions. Thank you.

I still love Kertesz, because it was my first, bought in the cutout section. But Jochum is truly one of the greatest all around conductors. No flash, he just walked around making great music.

So glad you affirmed the overall excellence of the Solti set; his accounts of no’s 3&4 are especially fine. We have the Walter cycle and both by Levine, no arguments on their excellence. I imprinted on Karajan’s 1978 recordings and enjoy them very much; I find his 3rd and 4th more persuasive than the 1st and 2nd. Based on your enthusiastic endorsement I just ordered the Jochum/LPO recordings and look forward to hearing them. Thanks as always for presenting these talks and preserving sanity for us classical record collectors.

I have the Klemp, the Abbado, the Herbie and Jochum, all great cycles. Also I have the old stuff: Furt, Toscanini...I missed in your review the Sawallisch cycle for Philips, great recordings for me. And Celi, too. Many thanks for all these videos. I have lots of recordings in CD and your reviews confirm my ears were very good whem I bought them, mant years ago...in the S XX....

wow! you're youtube channel is definitely one of my favorite discoveries of 2021! But more chamber music please.

Thank you Sir. You have become one unbelievable living encyclopedia...and i'm drinking it all in...all that i am so struck by how much i have to learn. ... and you are Very entertaining. merci beaucoup !

My first recording of Brahms 1 was van Beinum and then I opted for all 4 with Walter and the Columbia SYmphony, but still preferred van Beinum in No. 1. Now my go-to set of all 4 is Dohnanyi’s great Cleveland cycle on Warner. I also still like Walter in 2 and 3 and best of all Carlos Kleiber in the 4th. Thanks for your enlightening discussion!

I'm a big fan of the perhaps underrated Eduard van Beinum. So glad you included his performances. I'd love to hear your comments on the other recordings in the same boxed set.

Mr. God, thank you for Jochum. David - another winner. I am set myself on listening to everything he recorded aside from Bruckner. And the sound is great. With Jochum, no affect, no overthinking, no special effects. Just a natural flow of music.

Hello again, Dave. I failed at many things today, but 2 things I didn't fail to do were to like and subscribe to you !! Yes, Jochum had great balance of phrasing... I like everything by him. Also one of my favourite Brahms ; Giulini. He had a certain depth, weight, gravity to his music making that is instantly recognizable to me... and I feel it suited Brahms's symphonies... now I'm going to see what you say about the Brandenburgs... there's one recording I have been listening to for 46 years and still cannot live without.

What a great recommendation! I agree 100% with you that James Levine's DGG Brahms symphonies set is truly amazing and inspiring. The recorded sound is excellent and VPO played like magic. Form and content are formulated and integrated perfectly. A stunning artistic achievement!!!

You've done a great job with this one, David. As it happens many of my own favourites are all mentioned - Mackerras, Klemperer, Walter/NYP (not the Columbia SO remake) and Jochum/DG - along with Toscanini's live cycle with the Philharmonia in London, both of Boult's cycles and Kempe/Berlin. As you say, it's impossible to have too many Brahms cycles. I heard and saw Jochum do Brahms live in London (including two absolutely mind-blowing performances of No. 2) and I agree with everything you say about his genius as a Brahms conductor. If anything the fire burns even brighter in the mono set (if - god forbid - I was forced to choose just one Brahms cycle that would be it) and it doesn't have the annoying rewritten timpani part when the chorale tune comes back in the coda of No. 1 that is on the EMI set (I think that was a Toscanini invention but it finds its way on to more records than it should). Bravo.

So glad you re-directed my attention to Jochum’s DG cycle. I am listening to Symphony No. 1 and what intensity and clarity! I am hearing new things in the orchestration, despite the recording being mono! In fact, most of them sound spectacular given that they are from 1953 and 1956. Only weak link sonically is the Second, which is from 1951 and shows its age.

Wonderful and eloquent description of the Brahms cycles, so much to learn from! The symphonies are a passionate expression of an outwardly traditionally and repressed person. I agree with the comment on Kempe. Kertesz VPO was also omitted and Boehm, at least worth a mention.

David, this is a very insightful and interesting video ! You have really helped me appreciate Brahms and Shostakovich lately . Thanks !

Excellent! Very enlightening!

I'm new to the world of classical music and I often have to pause your videos to research terms and references, but I've already learned so much from watching your videos. Your breadth of knowledge of and your passion for classical music is admirable. And man, your ability to recall information is so impressive! Most content providers rely on endless jump cuts to present a topic and appear to be knowledgeable of the subject matter, but you present your content in a single take, and it's refreshing.

I'm new on this channel. After listening to your recommendations on Bruckner and Brahms cycles, it's clear to me that I must get into Jochum. I may have one or two CDs by him among my approximately 3,200 classical CDs, so I definitely must make amends here. I'll go onto the video on Wagner Ring cycles, of which I have three, all from the 1950s (Furti, Keilberth, Kna).

Great, thanks. Just like in Mozart late symphonies, I love to have both Walter and Klemperer in the Brahms. Light and dark perhaps. An Idea? If you should fill a little Solti box with 8 great cds, which records should they be? Don’t hurry ;-) ps. I am glad that there are more new stuff on CT, I enjoy that very much.

Long live Jochum

Thanks for this. Wonderfully informative.

Nice and informative Dave, well done.

One big reason to perhaps choose Levine in Vienna as opposed to Chicago is that in the former he opts for the classic orchestra layout, with the second violins on the right. Brahms' orchestral writing has *so* many antiphonal effects for the violins that it's always a pity whenever I hear great Brahms conducting attached to the "american" or "modern" orchestra layout (which isn't *actually* american in origin). Great video. Agreed with many of the recommendations!

Thanks for the recommendation! I am totally overwhelmed by Jochum mono version of Brahms #3. Cannot love more.

I have listened to quite a few Brahms symphony cycles including the few that you have mentioned, but the one I always keep going back to is Eduard Van Beinum with the RCO, great sound and passion in his Brahms, quite Tragic also he died from a heart attack while conducting the First Symphony of Brahms at a pretty young age.

Sat watching the video for nearly thirty minutes repeatedly asking where is Jochum? He hasn't been mentioned yet, what is going on?! When he arrived like the cavalry at the end at I verbally cheered. I've been collecting for over twenty years and I'm still bewildered by how underrated Jochum is in the core German repertoire. Hasta la vista Willy Furtwangler! :P Keep up the good work Mr H.

I so agree about musical mongooses. Thank you for this splendid overview.

Personally, I’m a bit partial to the cycle by Neeme Järvi and the LSO. But I just listened to some of the Jochum with LPO. What a revelation! Wow!

I have just discovered your videos and am addicted...love them all, but this one was uncanny. From your dismissal of Szell to your inclusion of von Karajan to your cautiously mentioning the brilliance of Levine I agreed with absolutely everything until the end...when I was almost dejected, waiting, and thinking "He'll never mention Jochum...if he hasn't gotten to Jochum by now, he's going to ignore them"....then you DID! NOBODY TALKS ABOUT JOCHUM'S BRAHMS!!! It is BY FAR the greatest!!! I WANT TO SCREAM MY AGREEMENT! WELL DONE! BRAVO!

Aside from adding my comment elsewhere, singing the praises of the Szell/CO Brahms cycle, I would like to throw in a recommendation to boot. When listening to any classical music repertoire, especially Brahms, I believe it to be critically important to do so with score in hand...providing, of course, you know how to read a musical score, especially in depth for Brahms. If you are somewhat familiar with the piece, it's first probably best to do this beforehand before sampling any recording. In much of his musical output, the sheer complexity of what Brahms wrote is mind-boggling!

I recently discovered you, and you have now become a regular visitor to my Florida home. I listen to critics with trepidation, but with an open mind. In the late 70s when I studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, I heard an orchestra member/teacher remark, “If you can’t perform, you teach. If you can’t teach, you become a critic. If you can’t be a good critic, you become a conductor.” The orchestra did not have a love affair with Mazel. I have found your recommendations spot on. Tonight I am listening to the Abbado and Jocum Brahms recordings. Just finished Abbado’s 1st; truly magnificent. I used to tease a dear friend and wonderful music critic, Andrew Patner, about refusing to embrace modern technology. If you knew Andrew you are aware he was taken from us way, way to soon a few years back. I will now tease you. Have you never used Spotify? For $11 per month I have every set of music you mention at my fingertips. No need to be financially limited to owning only a select few recordings. It is a marvel I wish I had years back when I was a poor student had to by Vox and Nonesuch recordings. Anyway, love your humor and encyclopedic knowledge of classical repertory. Your best Brahms piano concerti set was the first time I heard you. I pretty much expected the usual great recordings, but had never heard Nelson Freire’s recording. I generally do not like his performances because of his erratic rubato, and found some sections rushed, but other sections - F major second theme of 1st concerto for example - stunningly beautiful. While not recorded as a set, I love Zimmerman’s/Rattle’s 1st concerto. Sorry for the long comment, still being a covid recluse. See you soon. Don from Florida.

great talk on my favourite music

Dave, thank you so much for this. After a lot of consideration, I bought the Abbado cycle with the BPO. I am very happy with the purchase. Not only are the performances of the Brahms symphonies superb, with very good recorded sound, but the pairings on each disc introduce me to some Brahms compositions I did not know. (The Alto Rhapsody, for example.) I like that the couplings come first on each disc, which reverses the usual sequence. The last disc in the box, the Serenades, is a bonus. Great recording, great value.

10:50 The first symphony I fell in love with as a neophyte 11 year old was Brahms 4. An LP I borrowed from the library. It was the Czell. Great commentaries!

Its a great education thank you very much

Solti's Chicago versions came out just after the Levine CSO cycle and were therefore compared "head to head" in many reviews at the time. Most preferred Levine, and something of a shadow was cast on the Solti.

You’ve led me to water, and I can only feel as if I am now drinking the finest French chocolate. Jochum-I’d never given him a chance before now, believing Karajan, Walter, Klemperer, Bernstein, and Furtwangler to be the first and last words on the Brahms symphonies, among so many non-Brahms (admittedly, I listen to each said conductor for one Symphony in particular or two when the Brahms cravings rage), but what a marvelous artist is Jochum, who, even when managing to get some of the most fantastic fortes ever recorded out of his players still sees to those players’ maintaining full color character and clarity. This video is among my favorites of yours, not only because Brahms is, along with Tchaikovsky Mozart and Mahler, forever my symphonist, but also because I love hearing you complain about period instrument recordings of Romantic works, and I absolutely delight in your gushing gushing gushing over unquestionably great music and music-making. So glad you created this channel. There are so few good classical music criticism and discussion channels on RU-vid.

Love that EMI Jochum cycle, which I have on LP. I have recently discovered the Barbirolli set with the VPO which I find glorious (he really lets the brass rip when he can), though I know it's not to everyone's taste......

Got the big Jochum box but have not even started listening. Thanks!

Thanks! Broadly agree (although I don't think the Chailly cycles are as iffy as you say) and I will have to try the first Jochum one. Definitely agree about Karajan in this music: I kept trying to get away from that 70s cycle, but it definitely still hits the spot. Your remarks about Abbado reminded me of a pet theory I had at some point (which probably doesn't bear much examination) that conductors were either good at 1 and 3, or at 2 and 4. Abbado's cycle to my ears is excellent at 1 and 3, but I have my doubts about 2 and 4, which seem a little under-energised to me at key moments (2nd symphony finale, Passacaglia of nr 4). But thats just my ears of course! I've hung onto it because of the fascinating couplings.

Thank you for the reviews. I finally landed with my favourite(s) recordings. Walter (Columbia) and Mackerras at the other end of the spectrum, I guess. Curiously I could not bond with Abbado mostly the quality of the sound for some strange reason does not come out well on my system. I even forged $ for the DSD transfer from tape of the three Walter available. Superb sound supporting a superb interpretation. BTW I also like period interpretation of other works - like Isabelle Faust on many violin concertos and sonatas - beat me with a stick but I stick to it :-) The Bosh small ensemble version of the symphonies is gathering dust so that should redeem myself somewhat.

Bravo! So glad you recognized Walter and Klemperer as having a natural feel and style in Brahms--truly the cycles for young conductors to study. So many of my favorite cycles mentioned...Abbado, Karajan, and the masterful Jochum among them. I've been looking for an ideal cycle with Vienna, preferably in digital sound...I have Kertesz and Bohm but wonder if the Levine is the one I've been looking for. Thanks for always giving me something new to try out! UPDATE: I have sampled some of the Levine/VPO cycle and I can tell already that I want it on CD! It features that beautiful Vienna sound and I can tell that there is discipline to the playing. It is almost as expensive for the set of Brahms as for the entire Art of Levine set on DG. Are there other performances in that set that you recommend? A worthy purchase?

Ja Ja Jochum das ist der richtige!!! I've only come to the earlier Jochum Brahms cycle in the past years. I heard the second symphony on the radio on day and thought "WOW, this is really great but who can it be?" Jochum!!! What keeps coming back to me listening to this cycle is that Jochum, while never short changing the big moments gets the intimacy and tenderness of Brahms when and where it counts He wasn't glamorous but he was full of insight and the soul of the music. Great choice!! I do like the Walter Mono set and while I still love many many others as a complete cycle Jochum is my FAV and I see it is easily available on ebay and Amazon

Hello dave! Just Hurd Gunter Wand 1st symphony. I found it fantastic. The tempo is just right. Those 6/8 are some time too fast and sometime too slow. Here it just let the music flow. I loved the frasing of the orchestra and the string sound! My god!! The 1st violins amazing. Just a little timidity from the woodwinds at one or two spots! Thank you so much for your advices. You are making the process of hearing classical music even more FUN TASTIC!!!!!

Well that was an eye opening review of the Brahms cycles! Thank you for pointing me in directions I haven't thought to try, like Jochum, Dorati and others. Also, I would like to learn how to listen for the architecture or "line" heard throughout the four (or more) movements in a symphony, and how conductors execute that (or don't) - a concept I've struggled to understand for years. Sometimes I think I hear it but on the whole I think I'm missing something.

You do a pretty good fake snore. 28:31

A wonderful presentation, but I thought you were going to mention paprika when you discussed the Dorati cycle. I will have to give the Karajan a try, although I have always admired rather than loved his approach in the core of the German repertoire.

YAY! You mentioned the two cycles I have - Klemperer and Jochum :)

I often return to Eugen Jochum recordings of Brahms (which I have as LP's), when I am unhappy about a live performance, for instance Petrenko in the fourth symphony with which he started this season's concer tseries with the Berlin Philharmonic.

I totally love the Sanderling version with the Staatskapelle Dresden you mentioned. Any thought about Kempe cycle with the Munchinger orchestra?

Years ago... sometimes in the mid 70s...i heard Jochum conduct Brahms first symphony with the Bamberg Symphony orchestra, in Atlanta at the cavernous Civic Auditorium. Nevertheless it was GORGEOUS!!

Dohnanyi is really, really good. But Szell has been my favorite since I was in college.

I have to say, I've been listening to Szell's cycle, and fins it wonderful. That just excites me to discover the other ones you recommend!

I have always thought Jochum and Bohm to be the most underrated conductors. Thank you for putting Jochum at the absolute top of this list! I hope to see Bohm among the top recommendations in the future.

that was good! no great! You've contributed to consumerism, as after listening I purchased a 4-cd set of Klemperer's Brahms (it arrived today), and a 21-cd set of Jochum (which includes all the Brahms you mention, plus all Bruckner series and all Beethoven series, it should arrive by week'S end). I've already got the Karajan Brahms you spoke of. So January and February 2024 shall be Brahmsian months of over-indulgence!! YOU are to blame for this! lol. Again, thank you so much. (p.s., did listen to Jochum's Brahms 4th on RU-vid and it was indeed astounding.)

Thanks, Dave, I ordered the Mackerras from Alibris.

Thank you for these precious recommendations - the conductor of my choice would have been Giulini and I’ll happily compare now.

My own faves: Bernstein, Karajan, Celibidache--im glad i watched this vid because now i have been exposed to several others I should look out for!! 😃 My first Brahms cycle was Muti and it was such a bore to me. It turned me off to Brahms until years later i decided to give Brahms another try.

I didn't much like what I heard of Mackerras's Brahms (syms 3 and 4) - it seemed a bit light and faceless to me - but his set of the serenades is terrific. I haven't heard better in terms of character and color.

Basically your video and the comments cover the best and most meaningful ones out there. From time to time I’m also drawn to Barbirolli/VPO, Böhm/VPO, the young Abbado with 4 different orchestras. Nelsons with Boston SO is also pretty good.

Does anyone among the commentariat know of where its possible to download the Dohnanyi/Cleveland cycle? The obvious sources ignore it in favor of the later Philharmonia cycle.

Happy to see Dorati receive props for his excellent set!

Dear, Mr. Hurwitz: I wacht your videos recomendations with great entusiasm and pleasure. Here I have a personal choice for Brahms cycle: Wolfgang Sawallisch with the Wiener Symphoniker (1960, 61 & 63 Philips). I found consistent glorious, specially Sym. 2 (my favorite of all I have heard in studio recording). Have a good time and I send to you my best wishes from Venezuela. (sorry if my English is't so good at all).

I love the Mackerras, though I have only individual symphonies (and other orchestral works), and not the cycle.

Another great list! Barbirolli is among my top picks.

Thank you for these excellent reviews. Apart from other honorable mentions in the comments (Kempe, Harnoncourt, ...) I am also quite fond of the Kertesz cycle. In my opinion, he changes abruptly from being pastoral and agreeable to being dark and desperate so seamlessly that the music is more alive than with most. His 4th symphony passacaglia is still one of my favourites.

Dave, greetings from the Penal Colonies where spring is in the air. Karajan-wise, I can understand why you nominated the '77 cycle - which is phenomenal - even if I would have argued for the 63/64 alternative which has the better acoustic (Jesus Christus Church v the Philharmonie). And Karajan had had the orchestra for the better part of a decade in his possession at the time. That said,, I recently had the live cycle from Paris 1975 land on my door where it is such a joy to hear the Klang of the Berlin Phil in a pristine state - Herbie was not able to meddle with its sound subsequent to the event. Do you know it please? Best wishes, B

Would love to have you mention which recordings observe repeats and which don't. The Solti Brahms does.

Hi David - thanks so much for this video (and all of your videos)! My favorite has always been the Jochum/LPO recording, but my recording was only symphonies 1-3 paired with the Tragic and Academic Festival Overtures. Did he record the 4th at that time? I've never been able to find it. Thanks again

I discovered Dohnanyi when, in the 80s, I got obsessed with finding a recording in which one could hear the ascending trombone motive in the very last bars of the last movement of the 1st symphony.

Dear David, thank you for sharing with us such great insights on classical music recordings and performances. I particularly like Karajan's 1964 Brahms cycle, for personal reasons. In terms of sound, this one differs from the 1970's one because the microphones then were still placed in front of the orchestra, not among musicians (as I had once read somewhere). Unfortunately, as far as I know, the CD versions of this cycle are scattered among 'The originals' series ( the first three synphonies), and the fourth is included in a CD that comes with a special 'Karajan edition' book released some 15 years ago, I believe. Which of theses two do you particularly prefer (if you do, that is)?

Quick thoughts on the following? 1. Kubelik & Vienna Phil. (Eloquence). Some people prefer the second cycle because of the broader tempos, but I prefer this young man cycle so to speak. Plus, the VPO plays beautifully. 2. Ormandy & Philadelphia Orchestra (available only as a Japanese import as far as I know). The sound quality varies between symphonies, but I do think the performances are fiery. One cycle not mentioned that I love, and it’s quite recent, has to be Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony. Such warmth and energy. A favorite moment of mine happens in the first symphony. When the woodwinds play that great theme of the fourth movement, Nelsons chooses to focus on the oboe, and the playing is so beautiful that I teared up. My biggest issue with the Karajan is that the volume is so low. It’s a constant game of seesaw. I need to revisit Jochum’s Berlin and now will dive in into the Dresden cycle.

Dear David, you have praised very much the cycle that Levine did with the VPO, as the best Brahms-cycle with the VPO. I was looking for the DG-Set, but it is out of print. A way of getting it is to buy the box "The Art of James Levine". How do you rate the other recordings included in this box, the Missa Solemnis, the Berlioz, Richard Strauss, Sibelius #2, Schuman, das Lied von der Erde, etc.? Is it worth buying the set before it gets out of print, since James Levine is not being promoted (and reviewed) anymore?

Hi Dave...first of all hurrah...that was simply marvellous. I was particularly waiting for your view on Mackerras and the Meiningen style. I love them as a very distinct, individual voice and a definite point of view. Personally I have never warmed to Walter’s NYP cycle...just no time to stop and smell the roses. It is interesting that you bring up the 1978 Brahms cycle...I love the 1977 Beethoven 9th and I think the first 2 and the the 8th are better than his 1963 cycle. Having said that I come to a personal fixation. I am fixated by the need to have the exposition repeat, especially in the first movement of the third though the long one in the 2nd also lights me up. I really like Loughran and the Halle orchestra as well and a recent discovery- Kubelik and the BRSO on Orfeo. I love Giulini in Brahms but I do not think his Philharmonia cycle as a great one. Meanwhile, the Solti 1st was a tough one for me. The first movement of the 1st was so doom laden and heavy and my first exposure to Brahms, it put me off for a while. I respect it more today as an individual voice. All in all a fascinating subject, a fascinating talk and a serious trigger to listen to Brahms again ...thank you PS: Can I ask for a traversal of Karajan’s Philharmonia days? A lot of his work has often been glossed over...arguably a more ‘open and questing’ time ...

Ilike Otto Klemperer ´s personally I consider it is my Number One. Did I miss any comment about Günter Wand. Thank you for youroverview, even if I miss Mariss Jansons or Simone Young.

Thanks, David, for the excellent talk. Two questions (only one Brahms-related): 1) How would you rate the Brahms/Barenboim-cycle from Berlin (Staatskapelle Berlin); 2) Is there any chance you might talk about the music of Jon Leifs in the videos. Some of the BIS-recordings of his music are spectacular.

Hello David Hurwitz. First, and important to say, I love your videos, it guides my choices, it really does and I discover a lot of versions that I love, now. Concerning Brahms and Karajan, I just want to partage the following, I own a two cds set bought at St Laurent studio where you can ear Karajan and the Berliner "live" at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, 3 juin 1975 for the symphonies 1 and 3 and 2 juin 1975 for the no 2 and no 4 and I think it's Karajan at his best. They are my version, the energy is incredible and the transfert and restauration excellent.

jochum's 1939 brhms 3 recording reminds me a lot of Mitropoulos. i'll check out this one . thanks

Dave directing the audience with his hands - his prowess as a conductor is unrivalled.