Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4, Serenades Nos. 1 & 2 Tapiola Sinfonietta & Mario Venzago

• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73:
• 1Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: I. Allegro non troppo18:50
• 2Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: II. Adagio non troppo08:56
• 3Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: III. Allegretto grazioso quasi andantino - Presto ma non assai04:38
• 4Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73: IV. Allegro con spirito08:58
• Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11:
• 5Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: I. Allegro molto09:23
• 6Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: II. Scherzo. Allegro non troppo04:48
• 7Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: III. Adagio non troppo11:16
• 8Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: IV. Menuetto03:05
• 9Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: V. Scherzo. Allegro02:37
• 10Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11: VI. Rondo. Allegro05:54
• Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68:
• 11Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: I. Un poco sostenuto. Allegro12:22
• 12Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: II. Andante sostenuto08:27
• 13Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso04:51
• 14Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68: IV. Adagio - Più andante - Allegro non troppo ma con brio - Più allegro15:24
• Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16:
• 15Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16: I. Allegro moderato08:07
• 16Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16: II. Scherzo. Vivace02:47
• 17Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16: III. Adagio non troppo07:20
• 18Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16: IV. Quasi Menuetto03:52
• 19Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16: V. Rondo. Allegro06:15
• Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90:
• 20Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90: I. Allegro con brio12:21
• 21Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90: II. Andante08:32
• 22Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90: III. Poco allegretto06:09
• 23Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90: IV. Allegro08:01
• Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98:
• 24Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: I. Allegro non troppo12:02
• 25Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: II. Andante moderato10:53
• 26Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: III. Allegro giocoso06:02
• 27Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98: IV. Allegro energico e passionato08:56
• Total Runtime03:40:46

Info for Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4, Serenades Nos. 1 & 2

Eine Neuaufnahme sämtlicher Sinfonien und Serenaden von Johannes Brahms mit der Tapiola Sinfonietta unter der Leitung von Mario Venzago. Dem Dirigenten ging es bei dieser Einspielung vor allem darum auszuprobieren, wie diese Musik klingen würde, wenn sie mit einem kleinen Orchester aufgeführt würde – in der Größe etwa, wie es Brahms am berühmten Hoftheater in Meiningen zur Verfügung stand. Eine undogmatisch gehandhabte historische Aufführungspraxis mit sparsamem Streichervibrato und Schwerpunkt auf dem Holzbläsersatz sollte als ästhetische Grundlage genügen. Herausgekommen ist eine faszinierend neue Sichtweise dieser bekannten Werke, die sich bewusst abhebt von den groß besetzten, »schweren« Interpretationen der 70er und 80er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts.

Tapiola Sinfonietta
Mario Venzago, Dirigent

The Tapiola Sinfonietta
the Espoo City Orchestra founded in 1987, represents uncompromising quality and emphasises the critical role of each musician. The orchestra, composed of 41 musicians, specialises in the Viennese-Classical repertoire. 20th century modern classics and new music premieres also play an important role in the orchestra’s programme. The orchestra regularly performs with both Finnish and foreign top soloists and conductors, and also enjoys forays into e.g. children’s music and crossover productions. Its repertoire also includes chamber music concerts.

Mario Venzago
is the principal conductor and artistic director of the Bern Symphony Orchestra and Artist in Association at Finland's Tapiola Sinfonietta.

In the capacity either of principal conductor or general music director, Mario Venzago has directed the Musikkollegium Winterthur, the Theatre and Philharmonic Orchestra of the City of Heidelberg, The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Frankfurt (now Bremen), the Graz Opera and Graz Philharmonic Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Basque National Orchestra in San Sebastian, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. From 2000 to 2003, he was Artistic Director of the Baltimore Summer Fest as successor to Pinchas Zukermann and David Zinman. From 2010 to 2014 he was principal conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Before taking up conducting, Venzago was a concert pianist at Radiotelevisione Svizerra in Switzerland, and performed throughout Europe as a soloist and accompanist.

Mario Venzago has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the orchestras in Philadelphia and Boston, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Filarmonica della Scala and the NHK Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with internationally renowned symphony orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, and prestigious chamber orchestras including the Tapiola Sinfonietta and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.

Mario Venzago has given concerts with the world's most famous soloists, and worked together with directors such as Ruth Berghaus, Peter Konwitschny and Hans Neuenfels.

Several of his CDs have won international prizes such as the Grand Prix du Disque, the Diapason d'or and the Edison Award. His recordings of the operas “Venus” and “Penthesilea” and of all choral works by Othmar Schoeck with the MDR choir and symphony orchestra received great international recognition and prestigious awards, as did his first film, “My Brother the Conductor” by Alberto Venzago, which was shown in cinemas across Europe and brought out on DVD. In the spring of 2015, the collaboration between Mario Venzago and the label CPO on the project “The Other Bruckner, with all ten Bruckner symphonies, was completed.

Booklet for Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4, Serenades Nos. 1 & 2