Doráti: Brahms — The Four Symphonies

Antal Doráti conducts the four symphonies of Johannes Brahms in a historic cycle bringing together the London Symphony Orchestra and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Brahms’s symphonic cycle

Symphony No. 1 with the London Symphony Orchestra was recorded at Watford Town Hall on 18 June 1959; Symphony No. 2 with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra at Northrop Auditorium on 12 December 1957. Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 were recorded at Watford during Mercury’s July 1963 sessions: 13–16 July for the Third and 11–13 July for the Fourth.

The cycle follows Doráti across Brahms’s complete symphonic arc, from the monumental tension of the First to the formal and contrapuntal synthesis of the Fourth.

Original label and first releases

The cycle originated in the Mercury Living Presence catalogue. For Symphony No. 1, Harold Lawrence was producer and C. Robert Fine engineer; the recording was released in the United States in December 1960 as Mercury SR 90268. Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, recorded at Watford in 1963 with the same producer and engineer, were released on Mercury LP in November 1968 as SR 90502 and SR 90503. The Second belongs to the earlier American phase of the cycle, recorded in 1957.

Capsa Symphōnĭa digital edition

The edition is divided into two downloads: CD 1 contains Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3; CD 2 contains Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4. Both are available as File PCM 44.1kHz • 16bit — CD Resolution.

Tracks

CD 1
01 — Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: I. Un poco sostenuto — Allegro
02 — II. Andante sostenuto
03 — III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
04 — IV. Adagio — Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
05 — Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90: I. Allegro con brio
06 — II. Andante
07 — III. Poco allegretto
08 — IV. Allegro

CD 2
01 — Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: I. Allegro non troppo
02 — II. Adagio non troppo
03 — III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andantino)
04 — IV. Allegro con spirito
05 — Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: I. Allegro non troppo
06 — II. Andante moderato
07 — III. Allegro giocoso
08 — IV. Allegro energico e passionato

Credits

Composer: Johannes Brahms
Conductor: Antal Doráti
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra — Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 and 4
Orchestra: Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra — Symphony No. 2
Format: File PCM 44.1kHz • 16bit — CD Resolution
Code: CS621

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What are DSD and DXD?

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is a 1-bit digital encoding system based on pulse-density modulation. DSD64 operates at approximately 2.8 MHz, DSD128 at approximately 5.6 MHz and DSD256 at approximately 11.2 MHz. Playback requires a compatible DAC or player.

DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) is a very high-resolution PCM format; in the Capsa standard it operates at 352.8kHz and requires a compatible DAC or player.