Johannes Brahms - Serenades (István Kertész)

Information

Composer: Johannes Brahms

1. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 1. Allegro molto
2. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 2. Scherzo (Allegro non troppo) - Trio (Poco più moto)
3. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 3. Adagio non troppo
4. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 4. Menuetto I-II
5. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 5. Scherzo (Allegro)
6. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11: 6. Rondo (Allegro)
7. Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16: 1. Allegro moderato
8. Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16: 2. Scherzo (Vivace)
9. Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16: 3. Adagio non troppo
10. Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16: 4. Quasi menuetto - Trio
11. Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16: 5. Rondo (Allegro)

London Symphony Orchestra
István Kertész, conductor
Date: 1967
Label: Decca
Out of print, still available as 2nd disc of this collection:
http://www.deccaclassics.com/us/cat/4786420

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Review

"... Dating – and not sounding it – from 1968 these warm and memorable traversals are pretty much ideal; the recording is vivid but not over bright and the interpretations still seem unmatched. There is a generosity of spirit to Kertesz’s music making, a warm-heartedness without flabbiness, a lyrical ardour without affectation that is immediately appealing and winning and explains why he was also such a good Dvorak conductor. Sectionally the recording is excellently balanced enabling one to appreciate the LSO in one of its periodic heydays. Listen for example to the rustic horns in the opening of the first Serenade or the deepening mood of the adagio non troppo, whose amplitude is never out of scale with the other movements, never vested with such intensity that it formally unbalances the work. Or listen to the swirling violins in the same Serenade’s Scherzo and the resolute horn passage, robust and alive. All these qualities amply apply to the Second Serenade in which orchestral finesse and virtuosity are subsumed to a higher, more generous function. Violin-less the op 16 Serenade has at its centre an adagio of melting beauty surrounded by bustling and exciting material, delineated with treasurable elegance by Kertesz.

There aren’t that many unambiguously recommendable versions of these two Serenades coupled as here; thirty years on this is still an essential purchase."

-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International

More reviews:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/brahms-serenades
http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Serenades-Nos-1-2/dp/B000009LKE

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Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer and pianist. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable. Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. An uncompromising perfectionist, Brahms destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished. Brahms is often considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters, with a highly romantic nature embedded within.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

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István Kertész (28 August 1929 – 16 April 1973) was an internationally acclaimed Jewish Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor who, throughout his brief but distinguished career led many of the world's greatest orchestras. He studied at Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Zoltán Kodály and János Ferencsik, among others, and was most influenced by Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer. His orchestral repertoire numbered over 450 works from all periods, and was matched by a repertoire of some sixty operas. Kertész was the first to record the complete Dvořák symphonies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istv%C3%A1n_Kert%C3%A9sz_(conductor)

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