The chief virtue of this set is the distinctive sound of the Czech Philharmonic, whose fabled clarity and ensemble balance elucidates Brahms’ allegedly “thick” orchestral textures. Indeed, the orchestra’s pristine sonority and fresh, lively playing style makes many passages sound like Brahms’ contemporary, Dvorák (an effect most probably due to the Czech orchestra’s special affinity for that composer’s music.) This pays the biggest dividends in Symphony No. 3, whose often-elusive first movement (do the opening two chords ever sound the same among performances?) proceeds with a refreshing sense of purpose under Jirí Belohlávek’s energetic direction. The rest of the work also benefits from the conductor’s taut, clean-lined approach that emphasizes the music’s classical underpinnings.
The remaining symphonies (and the two overtures) unfortunately are not so special, as Belohlávek seems to have no particular view on this music and is apparently content with making it sound pretty, rather than moving. Symphony No. 1 does what it’s supposed to do, but the plain-faced conducting reminds us that we’ve heard this piece too many times. The Second Symphony, beautiful as it is, cannot afford to just stand there looking pretty, needing either the sinewy drive of Dohnányi or the shimmering glow imparted by Karajan. No. 4 is actually pretty good, that is until you remember the enthralling renditions by Kleiber, Kertesz, or Walter.
The Serenades are, of course, lighter works than the symphonies, and they benefit most of all from the Czech orchestra’s special qualities. The winds sound marvelous, especially in the chamber-scaled No. 2. Belohlávek leads high-spirited renditions of both works (though some may prefer Haitink’s bolder, more robust No. 1), and it is these that comprise the most interesting items in this collection. Supraphon’s late-’80s/early-’90s recordings capture the uniquely spacious acoustic of Prague’s Rudolfinium very well, though the earlier ones suffer a bit from that era’s digital glassiness. In sum, this is a unique Brahms collection that will appeal primarily to Czech Philharmonic fans.
