The Berlin Philharmonic’s in-house label continues its mission to document chief conductor Kirill Petrenko’s considered interpretations of the classical canon. In this case, it’s Brahms’s First Symphony, captured live at the Philharmonie just two months ago, coupled with the Tragic Overture, recorded last year.
For this performance, Petrenko examined Meiningen Court Orchestra scores marked up with specific directions given by the composer himself. The results may strike some as interventionist, however there’s an organic momentum here that is hard to resist with a pronounced flexibility that, according to the excellent booklet essay, clarifies Brahms’s “furious struggle against the bar line”. Balance is impeccable, although solos seem over spotlighted at times by the recording engineers.
The Tragic Overture leaps to life with dramatic urgency, its deftly crafted arc one long adrenaline rush. It does, however, sound like it’s been recorded in a more grateful acoustic, avoiding a woolliness in the bass that occasionally afflicts the symphony.
Stream it on Apple Music (above) or on Spotify
