Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

[Brahmsian]

Sounds fantastic, Ray!

Kyle, have you had a chance to check out Brahms' Op. 60 Piano Quartet yet? 

[kyjo]

Kyle, have you had a chance to check out Brahms' Op. 60 Piano Quartet yet? 

Afraid not, but I'll be sure to report back when I do!

[Florestan]

As so many others maybe this is only a terminological discussion. But an interesting one.

Agreed. Here's my terminology: nostalgia stems from longing for things past; melancholy stems from the acute feeling of the very passing of time. Fugit irreparabile tempus.

I guess I would need some time to justify this assertion, but I think that a world with a strong sense of the divinity is not easily melancholic (and I was talking principally about Baroque sacred music). Its natural "negative" feelings are remorse and guilt and then pain and tears.

Agreed again, but for me it's the Baroque instrumental and orchestral music that's melancholic, and I'm specifically talking about slow movements. Maybe it's just me, but pretty much any Baroque slow movement is melancholic, or more correctly I should say it makes me melancholic. 

[madaboutmahler]

Hello Brahmsians! Just to advertise a bit, am running a blind comparison for the 2nd symphony here on GMG, please just sign up on the thread if you would like to take part! We'll be starting off with the exposition of the 1st movement, the beginning should be a good place to start!

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,22639.0.html

[Brahmsian]

I figured the first Brahms listen of the year should be, well, Opus 1!

Brahms

Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1
Scherzo in E flat minor, Op. 4

Kamerhan Turan, piano

Brilliant Classics Cube

[Karl Henning]

Paul Cienniwa (the fellow who called for Plotting, but who did not necessarily imagine that I would write a passacaglia in there) blogs about Brahms and the passacaglie which he loved.

[Brahmsian]

More Brahms this morning, on a 'warmer' day.

Piano Sonata No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 2
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5

Alan Weiss, piano

Brilliant Classics Cube

[TheGSMoeller]

Good morning, friends. 

Have any users here compiled a list of recorded movement timings for J.Brahms' Symphony no.1, Op.68? I'm interested in more performances that are generally quicker or more brisk in their tempi.

Thank you in advance.

[Sergeant Rock]

Good morning, friends. 

Have any users here compiled a list of recorded movement timings for J.Brahms' Symphony no.1, Op.68? I'm interested in more performances that are generally quicker or more brisk in their tempi.

Thank you in advance.

Here's what I have. Comparing them is not easy because some conductors don't take the first movement exposition repeat.

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with exposition repeat

Eschenbach/Houston              18:58  11:14    5:08  18:19
Bernstein/Vienna                    17:31  10:54   5:36  17:54
Maazel/Cleveland                    17:20  10:05   4:52  16:19
Solti/Chicago                         16:47    9:49   4:40  17:31
Fischer/Budapest Fest            16:18    8:39   4:34  16:36
Mackerras/Scottish Chamber   15:29    8:51   4:16  16:31
Gielen/Baden-Baden               15:19    8:23   4:40  16:26

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with no exposition repeat

Celibidache/Munich Phil           14:57   10:58   5:44  19:47
Barenboim/Chicago                14:35    9:48   5:05  17:40
Furtwängler/Vienna                14:29   10:29  5:05  16:55
Sanderling/Staats Dresden     14:24    9:54   5:04  17:17
Klemperer/Philharmonia          14:05    9:23   4:40  15:54
Dohnányi/Cleveland               13:59    9:20   4:31  16:42
Wand/NDR                           13:11    8:48   4:51  16:37
Szell/Cleveland                      13:07    9:24   4:41  16:19
Paita/National Phil                  13:00    8:43   4:23  16:27


Sarge

[Brian]

Gielen Baden-Baden              15:19    8:23   4:40  16:26

Ye gods. Morbid curiosity compels me to find this on Naxos Music Library this morning.

[Sergeant Rock]

Ye gods. Morbid curiosity compels me to find this on Naxos Music Library this morning.

Mackerras is actually faster in the beginning, arriving at the timpani stroke, that announces the repeat, ten seconds before Gielen 


Sarge

[Brian]

Mackerras is actually faster in the beginning, arriving at the timpani stroke, that announces the repeat, ten seconds before Gielen 


Sarge

About the Gielen disc, what IS that picture next to him on the cover?!

[Sergeant Rock]

About the Gielen disc, what IS that picture next to him on the cover?!

I think it's half of his upper body in a suit with his arms crossed. The lack of contrast and detail make him look like he only has one arm.




Sarge

[Brian]

I think it's half of his upper body in a suit with his arms crossed. The lack of contrast and detail make him look like he only has one arm.




Sarge

Ahhhh. Thanks for the blown-up image. When I saw the 100x100 tiny image file I thought it was a woman in religious garb; when I got the 500x500 I couldn't make head or tail of it. Should have been looking at the sides, not the heads or tails!

[Sergeant Rock]

When I saw the 100x100 tiny image file I thought it was a woman in religious garb....

I downsized it in Photoshop just now. Yeah, you're right: it looks like someone in a burqa 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Here's what I have. Comparing them is not easy because some conductors don't take the first movement exposition repeat.

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with exposition repeat

Eschenbach/Houston            18:58  11:14    5:08  18:19
Bernstein/Vienna                   17:31  10:54   5:36  17:54
Maazel/Cleveland                  17:20  10:05   4:52  16:19
Solti/Chicago                         16:47    9:49   4:40  17:31
Fischer/Budaspest Fest         16:18    8:39   4:34  16:36
Mackerras/Scottish Ch           15:29    8:51   4:16  16:31
Gielen/Baden-Baden              15:19    8:23   4:40  16:26

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with no exposition repeat

Celibidache/Munich Phil           14:57  10:58   5:44  19:47
Barenboim/Chicago                 14:35    9:48   5:05  17:40
Furtwängler/Vienna                14:29   10:29   5:05  16:55
Sanderling/Staats Dresden     14:24    9:54   5:04  17:17
Klemperer/Philharmonia          14:05    9:23   4:40  15:54
Dohnányi/Cleveland                13:59    9:20   4:31  16:42
Wand/NDR                              13:11    8:48   4:51  16:37
Szell/Cleveland                       13:07    9:24   4:41  16:19
Paita/National Phil                  13:00    8:43   4:23  16:27

I admire and appreciate your diligence here, Sarge!

[Sergeant Rock]

I admire and appreciate your diligence here, Sarge!

Thank you, Karl. What a nice way to say OCD 

Sarge

[TheGSMoeller]

Here's what I have. Comparing them is not easy because some conductors don't take the first movement exposition repeat.

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with exposition repeat

Eschenbach/Houston            18:58  11:14    5:08  18:19
Bernstein/Vienna                   17:31  10:54   5:36  17:54
Maazel/Cleveland                  17:20  10:05   4:52  16:19
Solti/Chicago                         16:47    9:49   4:40  17:31
Fischer/Budapest Fest           16:18    8:39   4:34  16:36
Mackerras/Scottish Chamber 15:29    8:51   4:16  16:31
Gielen/Baden-Baden              15:19    8:23   4:40  16:26

Brahms Symphony No. 1 with no exposition repeat

Celibidache/Munich Phil           14:57  10:58   5:44  19:47
Barenboim/Chicago                 14:35    9:48   5:05  17:40
Furtwängler/Vienna                14:29   10:29   5:05  16:55
Sanderling/Staats Dresden     14:24    9:54   5:04  17:17
Klemperer/Philharmonia          14:05    9:23   4:40  15:54
Dohnányi/Cleveland                13:59    9:20   4:31  16:42
Wand/NDR                              13:11    8:48   4:51  16:37
Szell/Cleveland                       13:07    9:24   4:41  16:19
Paita/National Phil                  13:00    8:43   4:23  16:27


Sarge

You da' man, Sarge!
And I forgot about mentioning the exposition repeat, thank you for that.

Sarge, do you have a favorite from this list?

[Karl Henning]

If only Szell had taken the repeat . . . .

[TheGSMoeller]

If only Szell had taken the repeat . . . .

Are you a fan of the repeat, Karl? Are you a fan of the repeat?