Berliner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe – Brahms: 4 Symphonies [3 SACDs] (2020) [SACD / Tower Records – TDSA-150/2]

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe – Brahms: 4 Symphonies [3 SACDs] (1955-1960/2020)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

A project commemorating the 110th anniversary of Kempe’s birth. Includes Kempe’s first complete symphony recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic in numbered order. Newly reissued from the original analog master tapes in Japan. New commentary included. World’s first SACD release! The long-awaited release of the latest reissue of Kempe’s masterpieces from his prime years with the Berlin Philharmonic: No. 2 in 1955, No. 4 the following year, and No. 1, No. 3, and others in stereo in 1959 and 1960. The former Berlin Philharmonic sound and the old EMI label’s masterpieces with Kempe’s characteristic drive and wit are revived in the best possible sound quality. The monaural Haydn Variations, recorded at the same time, will be recorded separately at a later date. All the recordings will be released on SACD for the first time in the world. The latest reissue of the Haydn Variations has been newly made to achieve the best sound quality in the current state. The masters were digitized at 192kHz/24bit from the original analog master tapes and mastered separately for the SACD and CD layers. New commentary included. Limited to 1,000 numbered sets. There are two recordings of Kempe’s complete Brahms symphonies, the famous BASF original with the Munich Philharmonic in his later years (reissued in March 2020 on Tower’s SACD hybrid ATKSA1003), and the new Berlin Philharmonic recording, recorded in sessions from 1955 to 1960, is a masterpiece of the same period. The Berlin Philharmonic recording of No. 2 and No. 4 is also a masterpiece that will remain in the history of recordings. Perhaps due to the fact that Nos. 2 and 4 were monaural recordings, they were rarely reissued on the EMI label as complete works in the CD era (the TESTAMENT disc was the most widely circulated). However, even in comparison with later recordings, the Kempe performance is still highly acclaimed because of the combination of Kempe’s agility, precise conducting based on a thorough understanding of the structure of the music, and the profound sound of the Berlin Philharmonic, which still retained the local color of northern Germany. This reissue is the first digitalization in a long time from the original analog master tapes, and the tapes in their home country were in good condition. Therefore, the sound has been reproduced in a way that is quite different from that of the previous discs. In particular, the sound quality and balance of the two monaural recordings are excellent, and even though the demand for high-quality monaural recordings has not been high in Japan, we can recognize that the high sound quality of the No. 2 and No. 4 recordings this time is very effective. Above all, you may feel less discomfort even if you listen to them one after the other. The other Brahms recording between Kempe and the Berlin Philharmonic is the Haydn Variations. When this piece was first released, it was coupled with Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3. This reissue was supposed to include the Haydn Variations, but the master could not be received due to the corona effect, so we have no choice but to include the Haydn Variations on a different disc in the future. 

The sound quality of past CDs was perceived to be hard, with a narrow range and soundstage, but this time, the latest mastering was done using a flat master that was digitized from the original 2-channel analog master tape in Japan at a speed of 192kHz/24bit, which is higher than ever before. This may be the reason why the sound quality is so precise this time. The sound quality this time is more precise, wider in range, and closer in proximity, allowing you to enjoy the best performance with more realistic sound quality. Although some noise can be heard in some parts, we have tried to respect the originals this time as well, and have aimed for musical mastering, including balance, to the minimum extent possible. The jacket design of the box is based on the British version, and the digipak is based on the German version, with the exception of a few parts. The SACD layer aims for high resolution and a rich sound field with extended high frequencies and soft nuances, while the CD layer aims for a cohesive, solid sound with a realistic tone quality. Please enjoy it as a SACD hybrid disc, where you can enjoy the best of both worlds. For the 29th release of the Definition Series, Kempe’s masterpieces, two titles in total, will be released.

hraudio | tower.jp | discogs

Tracklist:

Disc 1
Symphony No,1 in C minor, Op.68
01. I.Un poco sostenuto – Allegro (14:28)
02. II.Andante sostenuto (9:18)
03. III.Un poco allegretto e grazioso (5:01)
04. IV.Adagio – Più andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio – Più allegro (16:42)
Tragic Overture, Op.81
05. Tragic Overture, Op.81 (12:58)

Disc 2
Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.73 (Mono)
01. I. Allegro non troppo (15:39)
02. II. Adagio non troppo (10:50)
03. III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino) – Presto ma non assai – Tempo I (5:15)
04. IV. Allegro con spirit (9:19)
Symphony No.3 in F major, Op.90
05. I. Allegro con brio (9:21)
06. II. Andante (8:15)
07. III. Poco allegretto (5:53)
08. IV. Allegro (8:39)

Disc 3
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op.98(Mono)
01. I. Allegro non troppo (12:23)
02. II. Andante moderato (11:20)
03. III. Allegro giocoso (6:34)
04. IV. Allegro energico e passionato (9:58)

Personnel:

Berliner Philharmoniker
Rudolf Kempe, conductor

Note:

(1-1)-(1-4) Recorded at the Grünewaldkirche, Berlin on 2-3&5.I.1959
Producer: Victor Olof, Christfried Bickenbach
Balance engineer: Horst Lindner
(1-5) Recorded at the Grünewaldkirche, Berlin on 19-23.I.1960
Producer: Peter Andry, Christfried Bickenbach
Balance engineer: Horst Lindner
(2-1)-(2-4) Recorded at the Grünewaldkirche, Berlin on 20-30.I.1955
Producer: Fritz Ganss
Balance engineer: Horst Lindner
(2-5)-(2-8) Recorded at the Grünewaldkirche, Berlin on 19-23.I.1960
Producer: Peter Andry, Christfried Bickenbach
Balance engineer: Horst Lindner
(3-1)-(3-4) Recorded at the Grünewaldkirche, Berlin on 1,3&5.XII.1956
Producer: Fritz Ganss
Balance engineer: Horst Lindner
192kHz/24bit remastering from the original analogue master tapes

Download from ausfile.com: