In its glowing warmth Marin Alsop’s Brahms Second makes a strong contrast with her account of the First. She conveys her obvious affection for the work in the way she lyricizes the lower strings, with the central movements particularly mellow. The oboe tune in the Allegretto grazioso is delicate (Beecham used to do it that way). But the finale brings a satisfying conclusion. The Hungarian Dances (in varied orchestrations) offer an attractive bonus.

Review By ,Scherzo,June 2006


SCHERZO_JUN06_8.557429_FR.pdf

Review By ,Fanfare,March 2006


FANFARE_MAR-APR06_8.557429_EN.pdf

Review By ,Pizzicato,January 2006


PIZZICATO_JAN06_8.557429_GR.pdf

Review By ,International Record Review,January 2006


INTLRECORDREVIEW_JAN06_8.557429_EN.pdf

Review By ,Gramophone,January 2006


THEGRAMOPHONE_JAN06_8.557429_EN.pdf

Review By ,Classic FM,January 2006


CLASSICFM_JAN06_8.557429_EN.pdf

Review By ,Ritmo,January 2006


8.557429_SP_RITMO_JAN06.pdf

Review By John Pitcher,Nashville Scene,December 2005

Alsop's Brahms has a great sense of pacing and a clear conception of musical architecture. And she gets the London Philharmonic to play with remarkable warmth and feeling.

. . . Marin Alsop's Brahms is big, meaty, robust. . . . Alsop, who got much attention from her recent appointment to lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, here guides the players in solid performances of Brahms' dense, late-Romantic orchestrations. . . . this is an excellent choice for a budding classical record library, thanks to Naxos's bargain prices.