The Fourth is the best offering in Kurt Masur’s rather tepid 1970s Brahms cycle. There’s a marked increase in energy compared with the first three symphonies, with a first movement notable for its flowing pace and characterful orchestral coloring. Of course, you won’t find Walter’s dark drama, or Kertész’s vitality, let alone Kleiber’s intensity–and it’s these qualities that you increasingly miss as the performance progresses. The second movement features the beautifully burnished sound of the Leipzig horns, followed by the strings’ deep, rich sonority toward the end; but in between the music lacks tension, just as the scherzo is short on swagger. The finale is another example of gorgeous orchestral sound (the opening chorale is exquisitely sculpted and balanced) without a driving life force behind it. In the end, you’re mildly pleased rather than enthralled. Masur commendably ups the intensity for the Tragic Overture, but his paint-by-numbers Academic Festival Overture falls flat. Perhaps if the recording weren’t so opaque and reverberant these performances might make more of an impression. As it stands, even at bargain price, Masur’s Brahms is just not up to the competition.
