Brahms: Symphonies, Concertos, Overtures, Haydn Variations

The music of Brahms held an important place in Sir John Barbirolli’s repertoire, and these recordings of the symphonies, made with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1966 and 1967, stand as one of the peaks of his discography. Barbirolli’s relationship with this music is rooted in his time as an orchestral cellist, and these performances are notable for their rich, ripe sonorities and expansive warmth. The two mighty Piano Concertos were also recorded in 1967 in distinguished versions with Daniel Barenboim. Playing the violin concerto here, Fritz Kreisler as a young man had been part of Brahms’s outer circle in Vienna and drew his approach to this music straight from the source.