Karajan’s Brahms emphasizes structural logic wedded to the Berlin Philharmonic’s luxuriant and highly refined tonal palette–meaning these renditions sound mighty pretty, even if they’re not always particularly moving. The one exception is Symphony No. 2, where Karajan displays genuine feeling through his sensitive phrasing and (slight) tempo flexibility, even as the orchestra beguiles with its exquisitely beautiful sound. On the other hand, No. 3 shows considerable drive in the first movement but ends up rather stiff and unyielding in the finale. However, No. 1 retains the air of drama and grandiosity that so informed the conductor’s earlier versions of the work.
Symphonies Nos. 1-3 were culled from Karajan’s late-1980s recordings, which reflected his last thoughts on these scores. For No. 4 DG chose the earlier 1978 version, a smooth, streamlined performance in which Karajan generates much energy by maintaining momentum in all four movements. But it’s not free of the conductor’s penchant for smoothed-over rhythms, most egregiously in the finale’s opening, where eight dramatic brass-dominant chords simply become a mushy little scale. The recorded sound ranges from spacious in No. 2 and well balanced in No. 4 to dry and close in Nos. 1 and 3. Still, DG’s budget pricing makes this moderately enjoyable set a safe acquisition for those curious about Karajan’s Brahms.
