Brahms: Symphony No. 4 | London Symphony Orchestra & Nathalie Stutzmann

A work full of contradictions that offers a glimpse into the composer's inner world. Johann Brahms was plagued by doubts when he composed his Fourth Symphony in E minor, Op. 98, in 1864/65. But anyone who hears French conductor Nathalie Stutzmann conducting the London Symphony Orchestra would find that hard to believe. The concert was recorded on 10 November 2022 at the Barbican Center, home of the London Symphony Orchestra. (00:00) I. Allegro non troppo (13:40) II. Andante moderato (26:08) III. Allegro Giocoso (32:29) IV. Allegro energico e passionato – Più Allegro When it came to his symphonies, Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) reverently took cues from his great role model Ludwig van Beethoven. Some of his Romantic contemporaries, such as Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Gustav Mahler also took inspiration in Beethoven's symphonies — in part to set themselves apart from the legendary composer. Brahms wrote to conductor Hermann Levi: "You have no idea how it feels to always hear such a giant marching behind you!" He was referring to Beethoven's looming presence over his works. While contemporary critics of Brahms' Fourth Symphony claim that the composer still adhered to the form of the classical symphony in a conservative manner, others emphasized his innovations. The conductor Hans von Bülow (1830–1894) described Brahms' Fourth as "Beethoven's Tenth." And Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951), founder of the atonal twelve-tone technique, later wrote in his essay "Brahms the Progressive" that, in his opinion, Brahms's motivic work paved the way for the dissolution of tonality. This detailed motivic work is one of Johannes Brahms' stylistic devices. Right from the first movement of the Fourth Symphony, with its descending thirds, different motifs appear repeatedly. The second movement, the Andante, is dominated by dark wind sounds and delicate violin tones. Brahms is said to have viewed the future of classical music rather bleakly in light of the social upheavals of the mid-19th century. This contrasts sharply with the third movement and its playfull Allegro, where dance-like, lively melodies set the tempo. Brahms wrote to a friend about his Fourth Symphony, saying that he had written "a collection of polkas and waltzes." In the fourth movement, the composer then returns to the form of the Baroque passacaglia with 30 variations. He was probably inspired by both Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor. Brahms had intended Hans von Bülow to conduct the premiere. But then, much to Bülow's chagrin, he conducted it himself. The payback came when Bülow went on a world tour with Brahms' Fourth Symphony and captivated audiences around the globe. Although Brahms lived until 1897, he didn't write any other symphonies. Similarly, his friend Robert Schumann also composed only four symphonies in his lifetime. The London Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1904 and is the oldest symphony orchestra in London. Since 1982, it's been based at the Barbican Centre. This recording was done there in 2022 and features conductor Nathalie Stutzmann. Nathalie Stutzmann is currently the music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The French singer and conductor conducts orchestras in Europe and Japan, as well as operas. At the Bayreuth Festival, she conducted Richard Wagner's "Tannhäuser" and was only the second woman ever — after Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv — to conduct there since the festival was founded in 1876. © 2022 C Major Entertainment Watch more great concerts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey Find the best of Brahms here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBU5_GAu2NLbH0fBf6CEX8kQ and check out more symphonies: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBXvpOWNmQ1AUBPQeyNanpxY Subscribe to DW Classical Music: https://www.youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic #symphony #brahms #romanticmusic