Johannes Brahms: Symphonies 3 & 4

Not only did Brahms write his symphonies, he also heard them – and was impressed with conductor Fritz Steinbach. Several decades ago one of his students published Steinbach’s interpretive notes, which sparked the profound interest of Howard Griffiths, the director of the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt / Oder – there hardly is a more authentic way of listening to Brahms’ symphonies.

This rendition of the two symphonies is based on a collection of detailed and exciting interpretive suggestions, which Brahms himself knew, heard and liked. They were conceived by Fritz Steinbach, a conductor and contemporary of Brahms, who the composer considered the best performer of his symphonies. Howard Griffiths has thoroughly studied the dossier and has diligently transferred the notes to his score: he plays with the tempo, balances with the dynamics and uses minute shifts of accentuation to great effect. This brings the interpretation very close to Brahms intention, thereby literally presenting the listener with a historically informed performance and simply providing the most authentic way of enjoying Brahms’ last two symphonies. A recording of the first two symphonies performed by the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt under the baton of Howard Griffiths has already been released by Klanglogo in 2015 (CD KL1513).

Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt
Howard Griffiths

Kulturradio RBB (13. Mai 2016, Cornelia de Reese)

„ein neuer, frischer Klang“

Infodad (August 2016)

“Griffiths gives each movement its own character while at the same time highlighting the flow from one to the next and the eventual circularity of a work whose final bars recall its first ones.“

Das Orchester (Oktober 2016, Arnold Werner Jensen)

„ein echter Geheimtipp”

Der neue Merker (28. Mai 2016, Dr. Ingobert Waltenberger)

„Eine zeitlos große Interpretation nur dem Geist der Musik verpflichtet.“