Search - Johannes Brahms, Marin Alsop, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Brahms: Symphony 3

A Fine Brahms 'Third' with Subtle Direction, Great Playing a

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 01/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brahms's Third Symphony has been the subject of much discussion as to whether the ubiquitous melodic and harmonic occurrences of the sequence - F A (or A flat) F - are Brahms's answer to his friend, Joseph Joachim's mottor F A E. Joachim's F A E stood for 'frei aber einsam' ('free but lonely') while Brahms's F A F presumably stood for 'frei aber froh' ('free but happy'). More likely the this symphony's alternation of F A F with F Ab F is Brahms's way of giving us harmonic complexity altering, as it does, F major with F minor. And not only does he alter major and minor he also alters how 6/8 is divided up: is it three groups of two beats, or two groups of three beats per measure? These two technical matters make up much of the symphony's fascination for musicologists. But, more important, listeners without a smidgen of musicological knowledge are also smitten by this great symphony, with possibly Brahms's most subtle discourse.



The Third had a great success at its premiere in 1883, enough so that Brahms was taken aback, worrying that he would never again be able to equal it. He rushed right into the composition of his Fourth Symphony and on its premiere his worries were allayed.



There have, of course, been many fine recordings of the Third Symphony. And many of them are available at budget prices. So Naxos doesn't necessarily have the price advantage it so often does. However, this performance is one of the better ones around, abetted by wonderfully clear sound and an intelligent, graceful and heartfelt performance led by Marin Alsop. The London Philharmonia plays beautifully here; special mention must be made of the glorious playing of the winds, the horns in particular. One seemingly can hear everything, not always the case with Brahms's sometimes bass-thick orchestrations. One can even hear the contrabassoon in its important contribution to the final movement; it is so often barely audible if at all in other recordings.



Alsop apparently has a special affinity for this symphony. Certainly her management of dynamics and tempo adjustments is superior to that in her recording of the First. In the pastoral Second which, by the way, is a superior recording, she doesn't have much opportunity to manage the alternation of dramatic and lyrical passages, but here in the Third she makes much of these contrasts. Although it is often passed over by music lovers in favor of the more consistently dramatic First and Fourth, the Third is my favorite Brahms symphony largely because of its subtle mixture of lyrical and dramatic impulses as well as its spectacularly thought-out construction which continually rewards deep study. Alsop does not let me down here. As I write this it has become one of my favorite recordings along with those of Bruno Walter, Bernard Haitink and Claudio Abbado.



The filler is the ubiquitous Haydn Variations, given an unexceptionable and sonically warm reading.



Scott Morrison"

Best Brahms So Far From Alsop

JohnL | Alexander, NC United States | 04/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quite interestingly, the general consensus back in the 1930s and 40s was that this Symphony, the Third (of Four) by Johannes Brahms was not only his best, but also the best Symphony of any composer since Beethoven. Of course, some might agree... and others would strongly argue for Dvorak's Eighth or Ninth, or perhaps one or more of Tchaikovsky's final three grand Symphonies. Of course, all four of Brahm's are well-liked, for different reasons. One thing is sure, this latest release by Marin Alsop and the LPO is the best of the first three released thus far. I certainly will not go into great detail about each movement. Suffice to say that the sound quality is superb, the orchestral playing, especially by the woodwinds, is very good indeed, and the tempos are well-chosen. The Haydn Variations make for an attractive coupling, and comes across excellently. Once again, the woodwind playing is very nice. Gramophone magazine, perhaps the most respected of all classical reviewers, gave this a very good review, as well as Classics Today, which gave this recording a 10/10, their highest score. I venture to say, both of these cannot be wrong, and neither am I. This CD is highly recommended, and at a very attractive price."

Lovely Brahms from Marin Alsop

Mark Hennicke | A stone's throw from Carnegie Hall | 02/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of the Brahms Third Symphony by Marin Alsop has been my introduction to the much acclaimed cycle she has recorded for Naxos. I could not be more pleased with the outcome after listening to this cd. The sound quality is splendid and Alsop's conducting is thuroughly engaging. Her take on the Variations on a Theme by Haydn is first rate, as well, making this disc an all the more attractive purchase. For those listeners who sometimes find the music of Brahms a bit daunting, this recording by Marin Alsop & the London Philharmoic Orchestra is wonderful oppurtunity to develop a greater appreciation for this great master's work. The other releases in this series will quickly be added to my music library. I would be quite surprised if I didn't enjoy them every bit as much as I have this wonderful Brahms Third by Maestro Alsop & the LPO!"