Topic: Best modern Brahms symphony 4?

[Bruckner is God]

What is your recommandation for a modern Brahms 4?
The only recording I have is the Sanderling/SD, which I like very much, but I feel I need a few more recordings of this marvellous work.

[Florestan]

Karajan / BPO (early '60 recordings)

Solti / CSO

I've heard praises being sung of Haitink / Concertgebow, but haven't listened myself.

[mc ukrneal]

Kleiber/VPO is considered by many to be the benchmark. It is was recorded in the early 80's if I remember correctly.

[Florestan]

Kleiber/VPO is considered by many to be the benchmark. It is was recorded in the early 80's if I remember correctly.

How is it?

[mc ukrneal]

How is it?

Excellent. I didn't want to go on and on about it as I seem to recall a long discussion of it in the Archives.

EDIT: This is probably the thread I was thinking about: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7802.0.html

[Daverz]

Reiner/RPO.  Recorded by Ken Wilkinson in Walthamstow Town Hall.

[Lethevich]

Good lord, some of those recordings are ancient

Janowski with Pittsburgh on PentaTone I was tempted to call shockingly good, but Janowski has been producing many phenomonal recordings recently and so it should perhaps come as no surprise. He takes a rock solid approach to the piece, with (to me) an ideal combination of heart and lucid underlining of the work's tight structure, leading a performance of great robustness and dynamism (but without trying to push too much of a 'concept' on the piece). PentaTone have given the recording some very fine audio engineering - the orchestra sounds stunning.

[Scarpia]

Karajan / BPO (early '60 recordings)

This is actually my favorite.  He takes the first movement at an unusually slow tempo (uncharacteristic for Karajan) and allows events to unfold in a strikingly vivid fashion.   The Janowski Pentatone series is also superb (the second symphony my favorite from that cycle).  I also like Kertesz/VPO on Decca.

[Bruckner is God]

Thanks for the recommandations so far.
What about Jochum's recordings? Maybe not excactly new, but I've heard good things about his versions. I see he recorded the whole cycle twice, with the Vienna Philharmonic and with the London Philharmonic.

[Scarpia]

Thanks for the recommandations so far.
What about Jochum's recordings? Maybe not excactly new, but I've heard good things about his versions. I see he recorded the whole cycle twice, with the Vienna Philharmonic and with the London Philharmonic.

The London Philharmonic recordings are very fast, energetic, and a bit sloppy, to my ears.

[DavidW]

Jochum!?  I thought you asked for modern!   If that's the case try Carlos Kleiber

[Bruckner is God]

Jochum!?  I thought you asked for modern!   If that's the case try Carlos Kleiber

I've heard the Kleiber,   but it wasn't my cup of tea. I don't quite know why. Maybe a bit too polished?
 

[DavidW]

Oh you prefer live recordings?  That's a fun, interesting twist on the recs.

[Brian]

Maybe a bit too polished?

Try James Levine's Chicago cycle on RCA. The complete symphony cycle is available on 4 CDs for about 15 euros or $20 depending on where you are (you also get Piano Concerto No 1 and a German Requiem), and in symphonies 1 and 4 Levine really lets his hair down. Which, given how much hair James Levine has, is saying a lot. Pretty good '70s RCA sound.

[Todd]

What is meant by "modern"?  I'll just assume it's a desire for good sound, so I'd suggest:

   




Also, I've not yet heard Giulini's VPO recording, though I have every reason to believe it is excellent.  Fortunately, it's being reissued on a budget label.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

What about Jochum's recordings? Maybe not excactly new, but I've heard good things about his versions. I see he recorded the whole cycle twice, with the Vienna Philharmonic and with the London Philharmonic.

Jochum's first cycle is with Berlin, not Vienna. It's excellent, very lively performances. Recorded in the 1950s, which means mono; but generally very good mono. (No repeats, so it fits conveniently on 2 discs.)

[Xenophanes]

Reiner/RPO.  Recorded by Ken Wilkinson in Walthamstow Town Hall.

I'll second that! Very taut, very warm performances, and first class recording. Wonderful.

http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Symphony-Beethoven-Egmont-Overture/dp/B000003GCQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305831834&sr=1-1

[Mn Dave]

I'll second that! Very taught, very warm performances, and first class recording. Wonderful.

http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Symphony-Beethoven-Egmont-Overture/dp/B000003GCQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305831834&sr=1-1

Yes, very fine. And haven't worried about purchasing another version since I obtained it.

[Mandryka]

The best recent performance I have heard is Harnoncourt's BPO.

You need to hear Mengelberg and Furtwangler -- at the very least on youtube, so you can decide whether these extraordinary interpretations suit you. I think they are  two of the greatest records of anything ever.

I also like  Max Fiedler, Kempe, Weingartner, Klemperer, Toscanini.

Kempe with BBC preferably.

Has anyone heard Mackerras and Gardiner or Abbado?

Surely  someone has found a good HIP one here

[zauberharfe]

I agree with Mandryka, the Furtwängler (and Mengelberg, De Sabata) version are the best chioces, if you don't insist particularly on 'modern'. Carlos Kleiber is also excellent he has at least 7 Brahms#4 recordings with various orchestras, of which the famous one on DG is far from being the best.

I haven't heard Harnoncourt yet, but I'll give it a try someday soon.