Brahms - Symphony 1 [Sawallisch-The London Philharmonic] My favourite Brahms Symphony, and easily by far, i feel this Symphony is better than the other three put together!, it had a long gestation period, roughly 14 years, and it shows in the final completion, very well thought out ideas and plans, especially the beginning of the Symphony, which was added on fairly late.
Wolfgang Sawallisch is a German Conductor, born in 1923, he's now 86, and i think he has retired from conducting because of his health, this disc was recorded in 1991, Sawallisch recorded a full cycle with The London Philharmonic, they're issued as a boxed set, but originally they appeared as separate discs, with my feeling that Symphonies 2 and 3 are fairly average, i have a tendency to collect version of the First only, i like the way the front booklet has Brahms written sideways, this is a good technique, i wonder why it isn't done more often.
For me the first movement is fantastic, it has all the hallmarks of great Brahms,
Here's Gunter Wand conducting the first movement on YouTube.
