Brahms described his two overtures by saying "one laughs, the other weeps," referring to the Academic Festival Overture and the Tragic Overture.
Composition History
Brahms's First Symphony took 23 years to complete, in part due to his anxiety about composing "after Beethoven."
Performer Biography
Kálmán Berkes, the conductor, began his professional career at age 16 and won a GRAMMY® medal in 1995 for a recording of Bartók's Contrasts.
Critical Reception
The conductor Hans von Bülow famously called Brahms's First Symphony "the tenth" symphony, linking it to Beethoven's nine symphonies.
Recording & Production
This recording celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, which was established in 1862 as the Song and Music Association of Győr.
Composer Biography
Brahms once told conductor Hermann Levi, "I shall never write a symphony! You have no idea what it feels like, for someone like me always to hear such a giant as Beethoven marching along behind."
Compositional Technique
The First Symphony's narrative trajectory moves "from darkness to light, from strenuous drama to triumphant joy," culminating in an overtly euphoric ending.
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