Music Lane

Wow. How can one say no? If you chose the samples, you chose my favorite moment in Brahms: the end of the

98.208.117.121

jdaniel@jps.net

In Reply to: RE: Sound Samples from the new Andris Nelsons Boston Symphony Brahms set posted by John Marks on April 18, 2017 at 07:33:40

2nd mov't/3rd Symphony. It's broad, but definitely loving, as you say. Does Nelsons also whip up a good storm in the 1st movts of the 3rd and 4th? Furt always gets my hair standing on end.

Follow Ups:

Yes--my choices on the samples--great minds (and hearts) think alike! - John Marks 08:47:27 04/18/17 (6)
And while the openings of the 3rd and 4th are energetic, "frenzy" is not the word that comes to mind.

My impression is that Nelsons is very willing to take or to extend pauses in order to convey his conception of the architecture of a movement, and that for that reason, while there is energy, the forward momentum always has within it the possibility of being held in check, so there is never any feeling of being "out of control."

Swafford's liner notes argue that when Brahms wrote his publisher that "I still think catastrophe is coming," Brahms was referring to (Swafford's words) "Austria's rising tide of reaction and anti-Semitism."

So, if Nelsons shares that view, then frenzy I would think would be a double-edged sword.

The feeling-tone I get from Nelsons' 3rd and 4th is of autumnal wistfulness tinged with resignation.

ATB + Thanks,

jm
- Is it just me, or deos the No. 4 seem to be even BETTER recorded... - Ivan303 15:06:28 04/18/17 (0)
  than the No. 1 or No. 2?
  
  Maybe I just like it better but I originally thought it was my system warming up over the morning hours but went back to No. 1 and again, No.4 seems the better recording.
- Can't wait. I'm hoping they'll be available individually. Chailly's Brahms.... - jdaniel@jps.net 11:46:17 04/18/17 (4)
  on Decca didn't really do it for me, though I get the conductor's objectives. The freshness and clarity was gratifying at first but got tiresome.
  - Funny--I agree about the Chailly - John Marks 12:32:49 04/18/17 (0)
    Funny--I agree about the Chailly. To me it felt over-thought-out.
    
    Nelsons I believe has no previous Brahms symphony recordings except for No. 2 (and Alto Rhapsody) with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, so it is not as though there is an older complete set people will inevitably compare this one to.
    
    The BSO is selling downloads not only of individual symphonies but even individual movement tracks. However, you might have to buy at least one full symphony to get the .pdf of the liner note booklet.
    
    ATB,
    
    jm
  - Aren't downloads usually available even by the 'track'? - Ivan303 12:28:12 04/18/17 (2)
    Thought so?
    - RE: Aren't downloads usually available even by the 'track'? - John Marks 05:25:21 04/19/17 (1)
      Dear Ivan,
      
      In this case, yes; you can download the entire set, download one symphony, or download one track. The only caveat is that it appears that in order to download the liner note booklet .pdf, you have to buy "an album," and whether that means one symphony or the whole set, is not clear.
      
      But if one wanted to get one's pinky toe wet on one's favorite movement, that is a valid option.
      
      The case where I can imagine that you must buy an entire classical album download is when the work performed is not in the public domain and therefore the label has to get a download license from the music's publisher. Such licenses are as far as I know almost always for the entire work, e.g., Shostakovich's 10th symphony--and indeed, the DG BSO Nelsons download of that is available from HDTracks only as a complete album (with the filler work of a hair-raising Passacaglia from "Lady MacBeth of the Mtsensk District").
      
      Thanks to all, btw who visited my blog and who listened to the sound samples. IMHO the BSO went through many years of not realizing its potential, but--now that Ferrari is running on all cylinders!
      
      (Exp: At the press availability where I met Nelsons, he commented that even though he did not drive, conducting the BSO made him feel like he'd been given the keys to a Ferrari.)
      
      ATB,
      
      jm
      - Ether that, or... - Ivan303 07:05:06 04/19/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Aren't downloads usually available even by the 'track'? posted by John Marks on April 19, 2017 at 05:25:21
        
        Giving the late Ayrton Senna the keys to my old Toyota!
It's my good fortune that, like the FANTASTIC Wagner/Sibelius before it... - Ivan303 08:47:26 04/18/17 (2)
it's available for streaming on QOBUZ. Lately QOBUZ has been promoting these new releases with only 30 second samples (mp-3) with the offer of Hi Rez downloads for sale.

This one, at least so far, deserves the Hi Rez download, at least so far and based on the first movement of No. 1 only.
- Qobuz won't let me in, unfortunately. Nt - jdaniel@jps.net 14:01:52 04/18/17 (1)
  N
  - I got in the back door somehow... - Ivan303 15:03:33 04/18/17 (0)
    then did an upgrade while in France.
    
    I pay in Euros via PayPal and register my SONOS system using a European address so I can get the SONOS QOBUZ player.

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