The Thomas Jensen legacy, volume 3

"With this release Thomas Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Örebro conclude their Brahms symphony cycle for BIS ... I must be honest and say that the Hungarian Dances are not Desert Island Brahms as far as I'm concerned. That admission behind me, I must say that Thomas Dausgaard seems to me to have done a thoroughly convincing job with his orchestrations overall, both here and in those which have appeared earlier ... There are other, more mellow ways of approaching Brahms' final symphony but I like and admire very much the bite and drama that Thomas Dausgaard and the SCO bring to the outer movements while the contrasting inner movements are also brought off very well. Superbly played, this is a fine conclusion to their Brahms symphony cycle".

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"I've reviewed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto 78rpm set when it appeared in a Danacord twofer devoted to Endre Wolf's Tono recordings. I enjoyed it very much ... Wolf's Tchaikovsky (1949) is fast, though bowed with such security that it doesn't seem unduly rushed ... The Fourth Symphony [Brahms] comes from a live broadcast ... By the time that Jensen came to direct it he was clearly able to stamp his own authority. It's a well-paced, cogent reading ... throughout an engaging and authoritative reading ... Danacord's documentation is always more than acceptable, and ... like all the Jensen Legacy releases, this is priced two-for-one but you'd need to be a Jensen collector to find this indispensable".

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"From the way Honeck asks his orchestra to lean into the very first note, beseechingly and growing out of a whispered sigh, you know that this is a deeply thought out performance. Grand, stately, very "masculine" this recording is nonetheless lyrically flowing with its sights firmly set on the final movement - the apotheosis of its genre ... The clarity of this recording is miraculous: every strand of instrumentation is pellucid".

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"Brahms's Fourth Symphony has had a special place in my heart for more years than I care to remember ... But, thanks to Maestro Honeck's incredibly insightful reading, and the unwavering musical and technical support from all involved in the production of this exquisite new CD, I am embarked on a second love-affair with the work ... If hardly a match for the Brahms Symphony, in terms of musical credentials or intrinsic quality, in every other respect Honeck and his Pittsburgh players ensure that MacMillan's Larghetto for Orchestra is at least a commendable and appropriate running-partner here, under the circumstances".

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"Recommended: Normally, I hesitate to strongly recommend a disc with less than an hour's worth of music, but this excellent Brahms Fourth and the high artistic quality of the new MacMillan work make this SACD a standout fully deserving of a strong recommendation".

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"Gardiner's series is a vital new contribution to the Brahms discography, not supplanting but supplementing previous interpretations in lending a new dimension to Brahms's orchestral sound on record".

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "There have been finer individual Fourths than this from the likes of Toscanini, Klemperer, Reiner, Karajan ... Yet there has never previously been a recoording which so vividly magics the work out of its own private hinterland for our dedication and awe".

"Med den här inspelningen med Brahms fjärde symfoni fullbordas hans och orkesterns Brahms-cykel med samtliga symfonier. Som så ofta när Dausgaard står på pulten får man intrycket at han verkligen lyckas att ge sitt yttersta, och i finalsatsen med den berömda passacaglian sperlar orkestern med en makalös energi".

"Now, with this release of the Fourth, Dausgaard's Brahms symphony cycle is complete, and I'd say he's more than proved his point. Indeed the transparency he and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra achieve is one of his set's primary virtues ... The flip side, of course, is that a small string section sounds small, even in the big moments. Dausgaard manages this fairly well, often using a subtle broadening of tempo to compensate for the lack of weight ... Still, I think Dausgaard's account is so finely shaded and thrilling in its own way - his pacing and feeling for drama are thorughly compelling - that it really demands to be heard".

"Unfortunately, the recording, apt enough to Brahms, proves to be too claustrophobic for Schoenberg, stifling the dynamic refinement which is one of the work's motive forces and a source of delight in its own right. I also found some lack of imaginative input from the solo players ... The Brahms, though, is magnificent".

"The main work transmits an impression of interpretative renewal. Though capable of cushioned 'European' warmth, the Pittsburgh Symphony has a cleaner, brighter edge than traditionally associated with big-band Brahms ... What of the makeweight? ... Honeck clearly believes the resulting '"Larghetto for Orchestra' [MacMillan] to be something more than Holy Minimalist kitsch. He has toured the piece and there's no mistaking the rapt eloquence of the strings, nor the forceful New World delivery of the few brazen intrusions ... All in all a provocative listen, beautifully packaged".

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "The refulgence of the playing is a constant source of pleasure and any conductor who is as mindful of Brahm's inginuity, invention and sheer vision as Janowski demands to be heard".

"Fischer's reading is on the slow side ... Fischer's performance, however, often lack impetus. Some of this is down to overfussy detailing but there are times ... where he is inclined to dawdle. Judges to the clock, Fischer's pacing bears certain similarities to Karajan's 1978 Berlin performance ... and Kleiber's Vienna Philharmonic account. Sadly it has none of their tragic force".

"Lidt vel kølig og udramatisk. Godt orkesterspil, naturligvis - det er LPO, der sidder ved pultene - men lidt mere glød var ønskeligt. Til gengæld er der masser af liv i de 7 ungarske danse, hvor temperamentet får lov til at gløde".