Classical album review: Johannes Brahms - Furtwängler Conducts Brahms

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 17:16

JOHANNES BRAHMS Furtwängler Conducts Brahms **** IDIS 6554

Wilhelm Furtwngler has an unjustified reputation for conducting everything terribly slowly, but it is deliberation, rather than slowness, that is the feature of these two remastered live recordings from the Fifties.

Not that Furtwngler can't deal with Brahms' faster rhythms, as proven by his conducting of the Concerto in A minor for violin, cello and orchestra, with Willi Boskovsky and Emanuel Brabec as soloists with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1952. But thoughtfulness and consideration, as evidenced in this 1950 First Symphony performance, seem more of a starting point, especially in the almost doom-laden opening movement.

In remastering, the later recording fares better, and the whole isn't really suitable for casual listening during the journey to work; nevertheless, worth hearing for two high-class performances.

Download this: Concerto, Andante