Three other great recordings
Wolfgang Sawallisch (conductor)
From the opening notes of this 1995 performance, we know that this will be a serious, dignified experience, characterised by a large-scale choralorchestral sound and spacious, grand tempos. But there is pathos here, too; each phrase breathes naturally, never sounding regimented. Thomas Allen brings a rugged grief to his solos, while Margaret Price’s sound is both richly resonant and angelic. The pace picks up in the last two movements, beautifully conveying the mourner’s healing. (Orfeo C039101A)
John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)
The vibratofree Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique may divide listeners, but the payoff of this live performance from 2008 is the fabulous recorded sound quality across the range, from the throbbing subterranean bass which opens the work to the piercing, high solo winds of the inner movements. There is no rushing here; this is a measured, patient walk towards reconciliation with death. While Katherine Fuge and Matthew Brook are not the most distinctive soloists, they integrate
beautifully into an ensemble characterised by creamily smooth strings and the Monteverdi Choir’s strong but agile sound. (SDG SDG706)
Otto Klemperer (conductor)
While some may find this 1961 recording too woolly, Klemperer’s handling of tempo and pace reveals a profound, deeply impressive sense of architecture. Hermann Prey sings the heart-rending baritone solos as if his life depended on it, while Elisabeth Grümmer’s mature, warm sound offers the reassurance and dependability often missing from more ‘girlish’ renditions. The Cologne Radio Choir’s German is remarkably clear, but they still offer an appealingly old-fashioned sound, smoothly eliding between notes and avoiding all sharp edges.
(ICA Classics ICAC5002)
And one to avoid…
Brahms-haters often complain that they find his music claggy, densely textured and over-serious. James Levine’s 2004 recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra would reinforce that view – it is dirge-like without grandeur, unrelentingly static. The second movement is shapelessly slow; the fourth treacly and muffled. By the end, one feels no different from the start.