Along with Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler, Brahms was one of the cornerstones of Bruno Walter’s repertoire. Yet it was not until 1934, twelve years into his recording career, that Walter made his first Brahms discs. The Fourth Symphony was recorded when Walter was guest conducting in London. Two years would pass before Walter would record his next Brahms, the Third Symphony, this time with “his” Vienna Philharmonic. The following year would see the recording of both the First Symphony and the Academic Festival Overture, again in Vienna.
The intervention of the Nazis and war in Europe left the Second unrecorded at the time, but Mark Obert-Thorn has drawn on a live NBC Symphony broadcast performance to complete this, Walter's first complete symphony cycle. An absolute must!
- BRAHMS Symphonies 1-4
- BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture (bonus download track)