Fischer/BFO/Channel Brahms 1st SACD (OOT)

[John Kim]

Has anyone heard this?

I got my copy at Silver Platter. After $5.00 deduction (they issue coupons all the time) I got it for $19.99.

In many ways, this is a truly amazing performance. I am not used to period performance of this piece, but at first hearing it almost sounded like it. To my surprise, Fischer keeps things moving at fleeting and oftentimes brazing tempos, always keeping textures light and 'shallow' for lack of words. But the more I listen, the more Fischer's interpretation comes across as the most dramatic and dynamic B1st I ever heard. The recording, somewhat distant and without much depth, also gives this impression.

DH gave a rave 10/10, but I'd like to hear your opinions.

John,

[barry guerrero]

See, Brahms doesn't have to be heavy and "gallumphy". The same is true for Mahler, or anyone else.

[etucker82]

Gotta be honest, on balance not enthralled by it.  Lots of good things in it, but Fischer's too interested for me in livening it up and misses a lot of the profundity.   I like the vitality, but some of it comes off hard-driven to me, and some of it is curiously not as vital as it should be.  There are a lot of weird, arbitrary mannerisms with the phrasing, a lot of fast tempos that the orchestra can't seem to sustain, and while I don't think Brahms has to be done with a huge orchestra, it shouldn't sound enervated either.  I'm quite firmly a Fischer fan, so this was somewhat disappointing for me.  Still, an individual take on Brahms 1 shouldn't be ignored.  For me, Jochum is still the gold-medal winner in this symphony.  But among the most recent recordings Janowski/Pittsburgh is really wonderful. 

[John Kim]

Gotta be honest, on balance not enthralled by it.  Lots of good things in it, but Fischer's too interested for me in livening it up and misses a lot of the profundity.   I like the vitality, but some of it comes off hard-driven to me, and some of it is curiously not as vital as it should be.  There are a lot of weird, arbitrary mannerisms with the phrasing, a lot of fast tempos that the orchestra can't seem to sustain, and while I don't think Brahms has to be done with a huge orchestra, it shouldn't sound enervated either.  I'm quite firmly a Fischer fan, so this was somewhat disappointing for me.  Still, an individual take on Brahms 1 shouldn't be ignored. 

Yeah, that's kind of how I feel too. Maybe it will grow on me...

John,