Brahms Symphonies Studio Master

For over a decade, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) have been reunited each summer in the German spa town of Baden-Baden. In 2021, their work there led to a well-received complete Beethoven symphony cycle, released on DG in 2022. In the summer of 2022 Nézet-Séguin became artistic director of the Festspielhaus's new La Capitale d'Été festival and during that and the next year's residencies, the COE and Nézet-Séguin performed and recorded all four of Brahms' symphonies. The performances were euphorically received.

More than 120 years after the death of Johannes Brahms, the answer to this question would seem to be a foregone conclusion. Not even Arnold Schoenberg’s essay “Brahms the Progressive”, famed at least for its title, has done anything substantial to change it. Schoenberg pointed to the asymmetry and irregularity of Brahms’s phrase structure, his stern adherence to and sharpening of Beethoven’s technique of dislodging the “strong” beats until the rhythm as we previously knew it fully dissolves. What we hear as downbeats are more likely to be upbeats, and vice versa.

This first instalment in a new Brahms series from Edward Gardner demonstrates the strength and suppleness of the Bergen String section, and outstanding ensemble playing across the orchestra. Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic since October 2015, Edward Gardner has led the orchestra on multiple international tours, including performances in Berlin, Munich and Amsterdam and at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival. Edward was recently appointed Principal Conductor Designate of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with his tenure commencing in September 2021.

For over a decade, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) have been reunited each summer in the German spa town of Baden-Baden. In 2021, their work there led to a well-received complete Beethoven symphony cycle, released on DG in 2022. In the summer of 2022 Nézet-Séguin became artistic director of the Festspielhaus's new La Capitale d'Été festival and during that and the next year's residencies, the COE and Nézet-Séguin performed and recorded all four of Brahms' symphonies. The performances were euphorically received.

The size of the orchestra and the arrangement of the orchestra is similar to the situation of the historic Hofkapelle in Meiningen, where the composer’s 4th symphony had been performed for the first time Fascinating new sound impression of well known classical pieces. Appealing and interesting version of Brahms’ immortal symphonies. About the artists Mario Venzago is the principal conductor and artistic director of the Bern Symphony Orchestra, Artist in Association at Finland's Tapiola Sinfonietta and a regular guest conductor of the Kammerorchester Basel.

Born in London of Italian-French parents, Sir John Barbirolli (1899–1970) trained as a cellist and played in theatre and café orchestras before joining the Queen’s Hall Orchestra under Sir Henry Wood in 1916.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons are pleased to release their latest recordings on BSO Classics–a three-disc set of the four Brahms symphonies, recorded live during concert performances at Symphony Hall in November 2016, engineered by the same in-house team that produced the BSO's Grammy-winning Shostakovich recordings under Maestro Nelsons on Deutsche Grammophon. This new Brahms symphony cycle follows two others recorded previously by the BSO, under Erich Leinsdorf in the mid-1960s and Bernard Haitink in the early 1990s. ''It makes me so proud and happy,'' observes Andris Nelsons, ''that the Boston Symphony Orchestra of today, filled with so many great musicians, will now have its own place in recorded history with this amazing music.''

Originally released in 1965, this Deutsche Grammophon digital transfer sees the legendary team of the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan perform all four of Brahms's symphonies. This was their first recording of the cycle together and is a testament to their unique and extremely rich interpretations of this Romantic master's orchestral works.

The Musikkollegium Winterthur rounded off its 2018/19 concert season with a six-day Brahms Festival, during which – besides numerous other works by Johannes Brahms – the composer’s four symphonies were performed under Principal Conductor Thomas Zehetmair. Steeped in tradition and boasting a proud history dating back to 1629, the Swiss orchestra thus commemorated the years when Brahms was a frequent visitor to Winterthur and his compositions were released by the Winterthur music publisher Jakob Melchior Rieter-Biedermann. Eldest son of the successful Winterthur machinery manufacturer Heinrich Rieter, Rieter-Biedermann opened his publishing house in 1849 and the first two compositions appeared in 1856: Theodor Kirchner’s Albumblätter op. 9 and Hector Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été.

As Robin Ticciati enters his final season with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Linn celebrates his memorable tenure as Principal Conductor with a recording of four of the most sublime orchestral masterpieces ever written.