Brahms Symphony 4 - Carlos Kleiber / VPO (audio)

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 (Carlos Kleiber/Vienna Philharmonic) Composer: Johannes Brahms Work: Symphonie Nr. 4 e-moll, op. 98 Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker Conductor: Carlos Kleiber Location: Vienna, Musikvereinssaal Date: 12 and 15 March 1980 Here’s the award-winning 1980 recording of Brahms’ last symphony, with Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Kleiber opts for a lean, austere sound, which is greatly structured and highly energetic. It’s a cliche, but once you start listening, nothing can distract you from following it all the way to the end. His tempi are fast, and the dramatic climaxes - the coda of the first movement, for instance - are punched home with the greatest vehemence. The final passacaglia movement is simply sensational: Brahms marks it “allegro energico e passionato“, and that’s exactly what it comes as. Kleiber’s grasp of the architecture ensures a tremendously powerful impact. Br