The ever-brilliant Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic show off the arranging genius of Arnold Schoenberg, whom listeners might know best for his twelve-tone compositions and pedagogy. The composer, however, arranged Brahms' works for orchestra with so much success, in fact, that one can easily believe they are orchestral works by Brahms himself. The Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor is a perfect example of this. Reworked for a lush, grand orchestra, it begins with a moody theme that repeats throughout the first movement. The tempo picks up and then gives way to lyrical winds and a grand sound that is almost Russian in character. And yet, the orchestra can maintain an airy lightness when the music calls for it. A livelier version of the haunting theme returns in the second movement, and Schoenberg has orchestrated the music so that the instruments are shown off best with their unique timbres. The third movement sounds characteristically Brahmsian, with its dotted rhythms, timpani, and its large scale of the orchestra. This shows Schoenberg's genius, for he truly understands the earlier master and can orchestrate piano music to truly sound like him. The conclusion is a wonderfully vigorous, violent piece that has echoes of Brahms' Hungarian Dances, with its long lyrical lines that contrast with Brahms' legendary counterpoint. It is hard to believe that this was not written by Brahms for orchestra, except for the giveaway: Schoenberg's clever addition of a xylophone. The Accompanying Music to a Film Scene (or, Begleitungsmusik) is just that: very film-like and programmatic. It shimmers with various tone colors, moody and mysterious and full of angst, as the full German title suggests. Once again, it shows off Schoenberg's versatility and brilliance as a composer, how he plays with the listener's expectations by putting a climax earlier than the very end. It has a horror-film quality to it that is stirring, but the piece dies out calmly. The Chamber Symphony No. 1 is not so much a structural piece as it is a flowing one; it is best not to question it, but to go along with it. It evolves seamlessly, using the strings in various unique ways, even including a lovely violin solo in the third movement. One can hear some of the famed twelve-tone method in the second movement as well. Overall, this is a wonderful introduction to Schoenberg for those who might feel intimidated by his less conventional work, but it is also a worthy addition to any Schoenberg fan's collection.© TiVo

Under the direction of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern delivers a solid performance of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor that bears comparison with many other first-rate readings. For anyone who wants a straightforward interpretation that can be enjoyed and studied with ease, this is a reliable rendition that is entirely uncontroversial and doesn't pretend to offer a unique view of Brahms' music or a historically authentic interpretation. Skrowaczewski's traditional tempos and unhurried pacing reflect a mainstream understanding of this symphony, and while it may be conservative and predictable, it has none of the rethinking of a John Eliot Gardiner or a Roger Norrington. Indeed, if it weren't for the fact that Skrowaczewski conducted this performance in 2011 (and that taking the repeat of the first movement's exposition is a contemporary practice), it might easily be mistaken for a classic recording from decades past. On the negative side, there is a small problem of intonation in the second movement's solo violin part that might disturb some sensitive ears, and some tuning issues in the third movement. One might also wish that Oehms Classics' sound had been fuller and richer and that the orchestra had better presence and spatiousness. But aside from these minor complaints, this is a fine recording that most listeners will accept as perfectly serviceable for their needs. © TiVo

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Robert Schumann was never more purely Romantic than in his set of piano pieces Kreisleriana, Op. 16. The set is of extramusical, literary inspiration, taking its name from a character in stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and it features the explosive imagination of the young Schumann at its best. Schumann announced the work, which he apparently wrote in four days, rather breathlessly to his inamorata, Clara, and more than almost any other work of his, it seems to spill over the boundaries of the short piano piece. Hélène Grimaud has recorded the work before, but she seems to have added intensity this time around. She is nervously excited in the faster virtuosic numbers, but sample No. 4 to hear her marvelous control over the tonal instability that appears in many of these pieces. The Brahms Intermezzi, Op. 117, were also "For Clara," sent to Clara Schumann toward the end of his life; the two had remained friends, and here, in Grimaud's evocation of tempestuous old-school pianism, one is stirred to wonder what Clara sounded like playing this music. The connection of the nine Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 32, of Brahms to Clara is less clear, and the set, with baritone Konstantin Krimmel on the vocals, may seem like an afterthought; the three performances on the album were all made at different places and times. However, taken on its own terms, it is a fine performance of this set, consisting entirely of settings of texts by Eastern poets. Krimmel catches the rather mystical nature of the songs, and Grimaud, with whom he has worked in the past, is effective as an accompanist. This is an important entry in Grimaud's catalog, with a Kreisleriana that is as fine as any.© James Manheim /TiVo

For most listeners' purposes, Riccardo Chailly's set of Johannes Brahms' four symphonies will seem standard-issue, with respectable and uncontroversial interpretations from an esteemed conductor, and rich and resonant performances by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Even in the choice of filler pieces, the set includes the three orchestral works that are usually packaged with the symphonies: the Tragic Overture, the Haydn Variations, and the Academic Festival Overture. However, this set offers welcome suprises and extra value for the purchase. Two orchestral arrangements of the Interludes, Opp. 116 and 117 for piano, are included, along with instrumental versions of a handful of Liebeslieder Waltzes and three of the orchestrated Hungarian Dances, which may be incentives to listeners who are looking for a little more. Also included are Brahms' original version of the Andante of the First Symphony and the alternate opening of the Fourth. But no one should invest in a set solely on the basis of these extras, however unusual they may be. Since first recording the cycle with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he offered a rather heavy-handed modern take on the symphonies, Chailly has gone back to an older, more historically informed style of playing Brahms that was familiar to conductors of the early 20th century. The music is lighter and more transparent, so in some ways, his recordings are sometimes reminiscent of classic performances by Bruno Walter, George Szell, and other revered conductors. For traditionalists, this is a fine set to own, especially if a fresh digital recording is needed.© TiVo