Brahms, Haitink, and the Concertgebouw

Decca 478 2365 (2010)

Brahms: Complete Symphonies and Concertos
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink
Claudio Arrau (piano); Henryk Szeryng (violin); Janos Starker (cello)

Recorded between 1970 and 1981 in then-state-of-the-art analog sound, these classic performances still impress as powerfully as ever in this beautifully remastered compilation. Audiophiles and lovers of great music should expect no less. Bernard Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra set the standard for the interpretation of Brahms in the last quarter of the 20th century--a standard yet to be equaled in the digital age. Surpassed only by Bruno Walter's much-revered 1960 readings with the studio pick-up Columbia Symphony Orchestra (Sony), Haitink takes a similarly "old school" interpretive approach while benefiting from the familiar synergies of a permanent ensemble and Philips' greatly advanced sonic engineering.

Haitink's Brahms is striking for its unerring clarity of line and consistent transparency of texture. Hearing these recordings will quickly disabuse anyone of the clichéd notion that Brahms' orchestrations were dull, heavy-handed or muddy. Listen, for instance, to the opening bars of the Symphony #1. Where other conductors often conjure up a blurred, miasmic wall of sound, Haitink gives us music imbued with dramatic weight and grandeur, yet purposeful, limpid; fully alive with subtle detail. Or, consider the truly magnificent reading of the "Haydn Variations", one of the greatest versions ever recorded; never too weighty, always lyrical, the noble long line carried through from beginning to end, seemingly in a single monumental breath.

Other highlights—if there may be said to be "highlights" in a set where everything is equally superb—include a songful and sumptuous Symphony #2, an unrelentingly intense, shattering Symphony #4, a jaunty full-throated rendition of the early Serenade #1, and top-tier readings of the two piano concerti with the great Chilean soloist, Claudio Arrau. The third disc features very fine recordings of the Opus 77 Violin Concerto with the self-effacing and much under-appreciated Henryk Szeryng, and the Opus 102 Double Concerto with Szeryng and the inimitable Janos Starker on cello.

Casual collectors should be aware that all this material has been available separately in every major playback format of the last forty years. I've proudly owned these recordings on Philips cassettes as well as several different LP versions. On CD, the 1994 integral box set (Philips 442 068-2) includes everything found on this recent Decca compilation with the exception of the four concertos. The two piano concerti were issued separately on Philips Silver Series discs in 1990, and again, coupled with the overtures and Haydn Variations on a 1993 Philips Duo album. More recently, Decca has issued the complete symphonic cycle with the overtures and serenades as part of a lavish 36-disc box set, Bernard Haitink: The Symphony Edition (2014). The third symphony shows up in yet another retrospective set, the 20-disc Bernard Haitink: The Philips Years (2013).

For those with somewhat more modest budgets and a less nebulous focus, this 7-disc Decca set is a perfect, refreshingly inexpensive way to discover all the great orchestral works of one of the giants of classical music, or become reacquainted with these justly cherished gems. Wholeheartedly—fervently—recommended.

DISCOGRAPHY

CDs

Philips Duo 438 320 (1993)

Brahms: Piano Concertos (complete); Overtures (complete); Haydn Variations
(Claudio Arrau)

Philips 442 068-2 (4-disc box set) (1994)

Brahms: The Symphonies
Brahms: Symphonies 1-4; Tragic Overture; Academic Festival Overture; Haydn Variations; Serenades 1 & 2; Hungarian Dances

Decca 478 5671 (20-disc box set) (2013)

Bernard Haitink: The Philips Years
Brahms: Symphony #3
Ein Deutsches Requiem
Plus works by Bartok, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Ravel, R. Strauss etc.

Decca 002010702 (36-disc box set) (2014)

Bernard Haitink: The Symphony Edition
Brahms: Symphonies 1-4, Tragic Overture; Academic Festival Overture; Haydn Variations; Serenades 1 & 2
Plus complete symphonic cycles of Beethoven, Bruckner, Mahler, Schumann,. Tchaikovsky

LPs

Philips 6747 325 (4-LP box set) (1973)

4 Symphonies; Overtures; Haydn Variations

Philips 6500 519 (1973)

Symphony #1

Philips 6500 375 (1975)

Symphony #2; Haydn Variations

Philips 6500 155

Symphony #3; Tragic Overture

Philips 6500 389

Symphony #4

Philips 9500 322 (1977)
Serenade #1

Philips 6500 018 (1970)

Piano Concerto #1
(Claudio Arrau)

Philips 6882 005 (1970)

Piano Concerto #2
(Claudio Arrau)

Philips 6500 530 (1974)

Violin Concerto Op. 77
(Heinrich Szeryng)

Philips 6500 137 (1971)

Double Concerto Op. 102
(Szeryng, Janos Starker)