Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op.98
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Carlos KleiberDEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON The Originals 457 706-2
[39:41] mid-priceby Jonathan Bushrod
This symphony, completed in 1885 having been started the previous year, turned out to be Brahms' last grand orchestral statement before concentrating on smaller scale music like the more intimate Double Concerto and the numerous chamber and piano works of his later years. It was not unusual for the composer to put a work aside for a period and return to it at a later date, and for a while he even considered writing a third piano concerto but his mind was instead drawn to the challenge of another symphony.
The Third of two years earlier had brought textures more on the lines of chamber music than those of his other symphonic works, and the Fourth shows the same love of the orchestras 'inner voices' (mainly violas, cellos, clarinets and horns) while being on a scale to match numbers One and Two. Brahms was no longer the intense and questing firebrand of the One and Two. . Brahms was no longer the intense and questing firebrand of the First Symphony and D minor Piano Concerto, by now preferring a more lyrical, less overtly Romantic, style.
Unusually for the time, he was also something of a scholar, inspired by the music of the past, and not just Bach, Beethoven and Handel, but earlier musicians including the polyphonic masters of the renaissance. It may be speculation on my part, but this seems to have had an effect on his later style, which treats the instruments as more or less equal partners, in some passages almost like a choir; this aspect of Brahms' writing is fully realised by the conductor of the recording considered below.
The Fourth Symphony is in the usual four movements, the finale being an extended passacaglia, taking a theme from Bach's Cantata BEV 150 and developing from it 30 variations and a coda.
It is not before time that this recording is available at mid-price. It has been a big seller since its initial release, partly on the basis that every Kleiber recording is seen as an essential purchase, nevertheless the interpretation is likely to hold surprises for many listeners, particularly in the first movement, where the conductor's almost obsessive attention does great service to Brahms' writing for those 'inner voices' that are so often swamped by the overall sound of the orchestra.
While some conductors wring all they can from the opening bars, here the theme floats in on a gentle current of melancholy that gradually gathers weight as it builds on a flowing tempo (I can't help thinking of Smetana's Vltva as the VPO wend their magical way through the second statement of the opening theme) the conductor increasing the tension through subtle mastery of dynamics and balance, the music only attaining a tragic intensity towards the end of the movement, and then with tremendous impact: Kleiber responds to the fanfare's insistent repetition with fevered string playing, the climactic exchange just before the coda brief but almost unbearable in its despair.
The beauty of the playing is maintained in the softer dynamics of the second movement even under the ruthless spotlight of one of DG's brightest and most analytical recordings, and Kleiber takes it at a genuine andante moderato, which is appreciably quicker than most others, and with wonderfully expressive phrasing and impeccable balance. A little warmth in the recording would have been welcome though, and it says a lot for conductor and orchestra that they can withstand such glaring scrutiny.
Uncharacteristically, Kleiber (left) sounds mannered in his treatment of the boisterous opening phrase of the scherzo, although all is well-balanced and light in texture. From the start of the passacaglia finale, he is eloquently restrained, the E major variations (nos.13-15) offering more than a mere glimmer of hope, only the despairing pause after the solo flute falls away seeing him cut loose, the brass matching the strings in their thrilling control. Attention is still paid to every detail in every part from the colouring of the basses to the most inconspicuous accompanying figure in the violins or violas, yet far from being bound by the text, this performance is one of the most exciting in the catalogue, and however stingy the playing time, you should not be put off investigating a refreshing and thought-provoking classic.
First time at mid-price, and not to be missed. A classic.
This disc is available at (or can be ordered from) Sing Discs (Raffles City), Borders (Wheelock Place), HMV (The Heeren) and Tower Records (Suntec City and Pacific Plaza).
Jonathan Bushrod is the man with the tea (because it rhymes with 'Jonny B' and he always seems to end up making the tea).
Back to the Classical Index!... or read more Brahms reviews in the Inkvault archives!
525: 19.7.1999 ©Jonathan Bushrod
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