Brahms Symphony No.1 Finale

[MrJeff221]

Early morning in Bangkok and life is good. Thanks

[MissMia584]

Beautiful. That's all I can say.

[Dan474834]

"The three greatest composers are Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. All the others are cretins."

Hans von Bülow

[aarpn07]

something about old recordings of classical music... just sounds so much better.

[dwlock100]

To think it only took 18 years to compose symphonic perfection

[srothbardt]

Thank you for these great documents of such great value!

[LordN3mrod]

@jmuslvr: What about Shostakovich? :)

[richstout]

Swarovsky stays put, too, on the chorale, that is...

[richstout]

Swarovsky stays put, too.

[dus8580]

love this part. This is so beautiful.

[autexcbaty]

BUT doesn't the title "finale" suggest the final moments... which we didn't hear. Still a wonderful compilation

[BrendanPanFlautist]

I love this so much omfg

[katenzcool]

thankyou jonny

[jmuslvr]

Beethoven and Brahms were the greatest symphony composers who ever lived.

[danielchong1234]

@jmuslvr mozart too.^^

[tlcooper93]

@jmuslvr Mahler?

[PUCCINIMUSICK]

Have a look at Karajan's live in Tokyo (video only) in 1981. All the rest is just a pale rendition of this great symphony. Note by note, simply a miracle.

[jepcorp]

@PUCCINIMUSICK I'm with you on that call---Karajan's performance in Tokyo blows these away---all told it was PERFECTLY executed.

[philliplederer14618]

Vis-a-vis Toscanini: He was 84years old when he made this recording!  Furtwangler died when he was 68! It is commonly observed that Tosca was at his peak in the 20's and 30's when he was a young man (in his 60's). That being said, he could rise to the occasion: listen to the 1952 Brahms cycle with Toscanini and the Philharmonia. Even at 85 he could make your hairs stand on end.

[2ndviolinist]

Notice the nobility of the "big theme" with Stokowski. He's the best conductor but his best recordings are with Philadelphia and NBC. Mengelberg is better than anyone else at Brahms.

[Vikturecicek]

Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms - for me best symphony composers in the world

[NeverAloneForever]

@Vikturecicek Besides Beethoven. Of course, that rule goes for everybody doesn't it.

[OrangeSodaKing]

@NeverAloneForever Actually, I prefer many composers over Beethoven when it comes with symphonies. Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, and Sibelius, for example.

[NeverAloneForever]

@OrangeSodaKing Those that took after him and those that died after their own ninth. I do prefer Berlioz sometimes. I think you know which one. Also, William Grant Still.

[tenorismo]

Every one forgets Dr. Bruno Walter ?

[leowalz]

Thanks for posting!  It should be further proof that while he was a consummate showman, Stokowski was NOT a charlatan.

[mingweicello]

I think if you can upload furtwangler's only surviving finale of this symphony with BPO in Jan, 1945, all other recordings can be dismissed.

[Invisus944]

oh I totally want to do that now

[maestrojeremy]

I do try to be open minded, but deep down I really believe there is a right way to perform a piece. And for me Jochum comes the closest in this video.

[photosilent987]

Jochum

[deepfugue]

I wanted Toscanini to keep going! They all moved me. But, Toscanini was, for me, most dramatic and he not as fast as I am use to him conducting say Beethoven. I could best feel the emotional turmoil of Brahms...

[Aardvarkiologist]

I loved Jochum; it's wonderful. Thanks for putting this up. Even if it is difficult to truly interpret the differences between each conducter in these snippets, it is still great to hear this excerpt four times in a row!

[ipmoic]

Very hard to play this game with only 2 1/2 minute snippets. Also, the recording quality naturally affects us somewhat.

For me Furtwängler creates the most tension, explosiveness and life force. His transition to the glorious second theme is also the most beautiful for me; Its grandeur is far more effective after a brisker tempo preceding it.

Toscanini's strings are unparalleled.

[highenergydeanII]

I don't care how fast this is. It is fantastic.

[Bochoff1]

In this video I prefere Jochum, too. Furtwängler may be a little bit fast and hard, but - just as it always is - it's the most expressive interpretation. He has his own tempi and impresses every time.

[anonymusum]

Jochum is very good, very sensitive and fluent! Stokowski: poor dynamics, at 4.40 a bad ritardando - and bad recording technique. Furtwängler: funny, mostly I like him, but this time he doesn´t touch me, can´t say why. Toscanini: very stiff segues, almost not romantic.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

I truly enjoyed each one's interpretation--Furtwangler and Toscanini seem like polar opposite approaches but curiously, I really enjoy them both..I really enjoyed this opportunity to compare and contrast conductors on the same work..thanks

[Huckel2x]

Difficult to say.

Furtwangler is just Furtwangler. Own style of shaping the work

Stokowski is impressive

Jochum Delightyfull

I have some difficulty with Toscanini. But in over all: All of them are perfect

[gurlsingerfan]

We seem to be in the minority in thinking Stokowski is impressive...to me, he had a very songlike quality, and handled the piece in a very musical way as an integral whole and not as a collection of crescendos...all of them were great fun to listen to though...:-)

[dankerer]

Furtwangler's is too fast and hard ..it seems as though he is overdoing it, imo.

[uhartchristian]

you are right the reason for the hardness and fast tempo seems to be the fact that the tension which existed at that time did affect the mental spirit of Furtwaengler. He did not only put his art at the disposal of the naziregime and specially Hitler and Goebbels but also did integrate in his interpretations the spirit of these evil people. The hardness of these criminals is reflected in Furtwaenglers interpretations.

[lewars1912]

@uhartchristian >>> Your "seems to be the fact" is absolute nonsense. What else can people who have a personal problem with Furtwangler come up with ! Lots of "perfect" human beings seem to love to get on their high horses about this great conductor. It's very easy for people to say what they would have done in such circumstances but these things are always much more complicated and very different in reality.

[shellac1925]

I don't know about the others, but Toscanini and Furtwangler left better performances. Toscanini's 1952 concert with the Philharmonia is his best account;. As for Furtwangler, his best recording is the 1951 NDR Hamburg account, with the October 2, 1952 concert in Berlin not far behind.

[changjiang001]

I prefer Jochum

[Greatheil]

um.. what?

[paulostroff99]

I find it very difficult to pick one overall winner from this list of winners. By a split decision I would have to pick Jochum over Toscanini. Furtwangler in third,and Stokowki in last place. Wish it were me in last place having this great sound. Bravo! TY.

[IluvHKong]

im going to be playing this on the clarinet at a performance but only a part of it, wish I could do that whole thing

[billyguns2]

A very fascinating comparison, yielding some surprises for me: Jochum is the only conductor who doesn't slow down for the "big theme," and I was surprised to hear that usually hell for leather Toscanini does. WIth Furtwangler we get his usual spiritual, Romantic approach, and Toscanini a stricter, classical approach; Stokowski gets a fuller sound, but I should say that Jocum is the pick of the lot ,and his orchestra is superior.

[SiegfriedHorner]

Except from an interpretive perspective, it's not reasonble to otherwise compare.The differences in space, and technology would make orchestra sound and even ensemble a difficult comparison.The Furtwangler and Toscanini may be "live" recordings;the others edited and tweaked in the studio.All total, it's not surprising that some would deem the Jocum best,being the most technologically advanced and professionally editied.The best orch?Berlin or NBC even based upon personnel.

[JorPove]

No es posible comparr cual de estos cuatro directores de orquesta se acerca mas al espiritu de la composicion original. Sin embargo Toscanini- a mi juicio- se apega mas al estilo romantico de la pieza y Furtlanger (con un uso mas destacado de los vientos) subraya mas el espiritu "germano" marcial de ella.

[debartzen]

Muy buen comentario.Pero fue Brahms,el hijo de la criatura que le llevó dieciseis años de sufrimiento componerla.

[11ellon]

ja... es ist schlicht und ergreifend MUSIK...

nur MUSIK

einfach perfekt... jeder Ton passt!!! GENIAL

große musik :):):)

[katzenname]

@11ellon ERGREIFEND aber nicht schlicht