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In the Thread: Brahms 4th Symphony in its own time
Post Subject: Brahms 4th Symphony in its own timePosted by Paul S on: 2/22/2009
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Royal Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner conducting; Chesky CR6, 1988(originally recorded in London's Walthamstow Town Hall, October, 1962).
This is an excellent dub and transfer of a lovely (stereo) recording done just before Fritz Reiner passed on. Of course this is a phenomenal symphony. I note the performance because of the way Reiner takes charge of this elite orchestra, which he quickly terrorizes out of a creamy, cadenced reverie and into his own amazing vision of this noble work. It takes Reiner more than a few measures to get the best of these professionals, but once he does, the piece takes off, and soon the orchestra senses what's going on, and they let go, and the piece continues as truly worthy of the score and the talent invloved, both.
Especially nice here is Reiner's "organic" sense of time, and the way he shifts signatures subtly according to the themes and sections in question, and the way he overlaps both sections and varying time signatures works wonderful effects here, creating amazing, 4-D textures as well as sustaining a high level of rhythmic interest, not to mention the music itself, which is incredibly beautiful, on the face of it.
Listening to music like this is for me one of life's greatest luxuries, and it is also very necessary for my own sense of well being.
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site