Search - Johannes Brahms, Bernard Haitink :: Brahms: The Symphonies

3.5 stars -- a good starter set if the cost is not an issue

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 04/10/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This import box represents Bernard Haitink's best Brahms orchestral output, recorded from 1970-80 during his heyday with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The remastering hasn't changed the sound much from the days these were released on silent surface vinyl recordings; the only difference I can hear is a bit more on the bottom. The upper range is identical to the vinyl pressings from that bygone era.



What has changed since the original release is Haitink's approach to Brahms. He later recorded most of the symphonies with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and has, in recent years, recorded them again with the London Symphony Orchestra on its Live label with some available in the super audio format. These recordings are more mature, slower, stodgier and less well-conceived, in my opinion, than his work in this set.



Perhaps along similar lines, these performances eschew the posturing and philosophizing conductors have put forthi in Brahms scores since the days of Furtwangler. Haitink is by contrast eminently straightforward, as he was in virtually all repetory in his salad days in Amsterdam.



My favorites in this set are the same as they were during the days these were out on vinyl -- the sunny Symphony No. 2, which exposes the best in Haitink's personality as well as the euphonius sounds of the Concertgebouw brass. The disk of the two Serenades is another personal favorite, especially that earlier Serenade in D major with its 15-minute adagio. The mating of Symphonies 2 & 3 on a single CD is another of the high points of the set, which you have to buy in order to get this recording.



The less successful Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4, which require a bit more brooding, drama and understandinig than Haitink offers here to be fully accomplished, are available new on single disks for as little at $5-$6. This set offers a number of makeweights to fill out disks -- the Haydn variations and three Hungarian dances with Symphony 4; the Tragic and Academic Festival overtures accompany Symphony No. 1 -- that are all good without being masterful.



What most works against this set is the relatively high import cost and the fact that it takes four CDs to deliver the symphonies. When you consider that Karajan's remastered set from the same period is available on two disks for about $12 and you can buy Bruno Walter's beloved Brahms symphonies, accompanied by more substantial add-ons than here, on three disks for around $15, it places this set at a great disadvantage. You really have to be sold on Haitink to choose this over these and other historic recordings.



The great advantage, of course, is the addition of the two Serenades, a real jewel in this compendium, and the handsome packaging that includes a 34-page booklet in three languages with adequate notes and a bio on the conductor. In addition, this is still Haitink's best attempt at recording Brahms major orchestral works and is several notches better than his later recordings.



A good starter set, then, if cost is not an issue. More experienced collectors probably already have several versions of everything herein and may want to consider whether this meets any unmet need based on the conductor's literal style and the glorious playing and sound of the Concertgebouw Orchestra."

Magnificent, highly energized Brahms--Karajan's only rival f

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Haitink was fairly new leading the Concertgebouw when he recored this Brahms cycle from 1970-73, yet the two are in remarkable sympathy. He asks for vibrant, energized playing, and they deliver beyond all expectation. These performances are frequently hair-raising; for sheer excitement they rival Toscanini and Karajan, withuot the former's tightness or the latter's grandiosity (great as both are).



Haitink's Brahms manages to be powerful and genial at the same time, combining Bruno Walter's tenderness with dazzling virtuosity. A reviewer can kill a recording with praise, but I defy anyone not to find these readings spellbinding and deeply moving. It's like hearing all four symphonies for the first time (the same goes for the incidental overtures and the two serenades, which were recorded later in 1976 and 1980).



If you have only heard the dull Brahms performances that Haitink later delivered in Boston and London, you will be astonished at these early ones. Philips provides excellent analog sound with lots of impact, miked very close to give us a conductor's perspective. I can only say that I regret overlooking this Brahms cycle for so long and now must place it at the very top of the list."

Haitink, Brahms, Concertgebouw....nothing more needs to be s

P. Verlee | Bangor, ME United States | 12/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this boxed set on LP 30 years ago and it was the "standard" I listened to ever since. I have since heard Mackerras, Karajan, Solti, Abbaddo, and Walter. Each has it's good points. I don't believe in picking one recording over another, I prefer to find the good points in every recording or performance I hear. The good points of this set are the unique sound of the Concertgebouw strings and winds and the fantastic Hall they recorded in. I prefer Haitink over Karajan for his straightforward approach. Just sit back and enjoy that lush Concertgebouw string sound in that marvelous hall, Philips really did a wonderful job of recording these works back in the 70's. Highly recommended!!"