Herbert Von Karajan - Brahms: Symphony No. 1 (1963) [2016 Hi-Res]

Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68, orchestral work by German composer Johannes
Brahms that, with its lyricism and thematic unity, is widely regarded as one of the
greatest symphonies of the Austro-German tradition. Nearly 20 years in the
making, the composition premiered on November 4, 1876, in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Initially a pianist, Brahms became interested in composition and began working
on his rst symphony in the early 1860s. By the time he nished the piece, in
September 1876, he had been living for more than a decade in Vienna, where
Beethoven had produced many of his greatest works. Indeed, throughout his career
as a composer, Brahms sensed the shadow of Beethoven looming over him and
hoped to be considered on his own merits, without being compared to the man
who would come to be widely regarded as the greatest composer in the Western
classical tradition. Leery of Vienna’s notoriously stern music critics and its equally
opinionated audiences, who worshipped Beethoven, Brahms felt that his rst
symphony would have a better chance of succeeding outside of the city. He
arranged for the work to premiere in Karlsruhe.
That performance went rather well, with the only discouraging words coming from
Brahms himself, who described the new symphony as “long and not especially
amiable.” Brahms then scheduled a Vienna performance, and it was on that
occasion that the Beethoven parallels at last emerged. Celebrated Austrian music
critic Eduard Hanslick compared the styles of the two masters, suggesting that
Brahms had relied rather heavily on the serious side of Beethoven at the expense of
what he called “heartwarming sunshine.” Furthermore, he insisted that the regal
string melody of the fourth movement was strikingly similar to the Ode to Joy in
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125. German conductor and pianist
Hans von Bülow, a student of Hungarian piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt,
agreed with Hanslick’s assessment and memorably tagged the piece “Beethoven’s
Tenth.”
Such comparative remarks could not have pleased Brahms. Nevertheless, he likely
found fulllment in the high praise that the reviewers ultimately accorded the
piece. Hanslick, for all his reservations, lauded the composition as “one of the most
individual and magnicent works of the symphonic literature.” He closed his review
with these enthusiastic words: “The new symphony of Brahms is something of
which the nation may be proud, an inexhaustible fountain of deep pleasure and
fruitful study.” That assessment still holds. With his Symphony No. 1 in C Minor,
Brahms nally secured a place alongside Beethoven in the pantheon of great
composers.

This is from the 1960's complete recording of the Brahms symphonies with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Karajan's interpretation gives many pleasures and insights. The sound is excellent in this remastering. Warmly recommended.


Tracks:

1. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro – Meno allegro
2. Andante sostenuto
3. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
4. Adagio – Più andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio – Più allegro

Personnel:

Berliner Philharmoniker
Herbert von Karajan (conductor)