Brahms - Symphony 1 [Giulini-Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra] Another disc i listened to on the way to Church today, this is the original recording [albeit a tape] i grew up on when first delving into this Symphony, some may say that Giulini is slow in the big tune in the finale, but with the only recording i ever knew, it just sounded 'right' to me, i knew no different, now i've heard a number of different versions, yet still i love Giulini's way with Brahms.
Carlo Maria Giulini is Italian, born in 1914, he died at the age of 91, he first started out as a Viola player, and his debut with his first professional Orchestra, was in fact with Brahms Symphony 1, with Bruno Walter conducting, this recording was made in 1981, i like the booklet cover, the geometric design is by Victor Vasarely, and i like this series by DG, of their 3D Classics, this one of a cube, the colour theme is red and green, very nice indeed, very well laid out and pleasing to the eye, as an added bonus to this disc, the back of the booklet has been signed by Giulini himself [in pen], a nice little touch.
The first movement is a masterpiece, each of the 3 times i've mentioned this work in my Blog previously, i've highlighted the fist movement as its centrepiece, actually for me this time, the fourth and last movement really shone, the Symphony starts out in the darker key of C Minor, but in the finale the key blazes triumphantly into its parallel major of C Major, a great resolution to the darker knots that are tied earlier on,
Here's Gunter Wand conducting the fourth movement on YouTube.
