Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra / William Steinberg, Conductor 1 I. Allegro non troppo 11:33 2 II. Andante moderato 11:42 3 III. Allegro giocoso - Poco meno presto 06:02 4 IV. Allegro energico e passionato - Più allegro 09:58 BRAHMS: Symphony No.4 in E Minor, his Viennese friends were considerably less by Bernard Vögl, critic of the Leipziger Op. 98 enthusiastic when Brahms and Ignaz Brüll Nachrichten, which concludes thus: “The played this same arrangement for them. finale is certainly the most original of the William Steinberg conducting the After the first movement, the often unper- movements, and furnishes more complete Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra ceptive critic and Brahms supporter, Eduard argument than has before been brought Hanslick, sighed heavily and remarked, forward for the opinion of those who see “Really, you know, it sounds like two tremen- in Brahms the modern Sebastian Bach. One of Johannes Brahms’ most profound dously wittly people quarrelling.” The movement is not only constructed on symphonic utterances here receives a glo- the form displayed in Bach’s Chaconne for rious reading by a master conductor and After some misgivings, Brahms ultimately violin, but it is filled with Bach’s spirit. It is a great orchestra - an interpretation that consented to let Hans von Bülow try over built up with astounding mastery and in matches perfectly the nobility of the music. the symphony with his ducal orchestra at such a manner that its contrapuntal learning All this has been clothed in the unsurpassed, Meiningen. The orchestra was not large, but remains subordinate to its poetic contents ... full, natural Everest sound. it was an excellent group. Von Bülow was It can be compared with no former work of sufficiently impressed with the new work to Brahms and stands alone in the symphonic In his book, The Unknown Brahms, Robert schedule it for performance. He directed the literature of the present and the past.” Haven Schauffler relates that toward the end preliminary rehearsals, and the composer of his career Brahms expressed the opinion arrived in time to complete them and to Vögl’s point about the relationship between that no modern composer could do justice to conduct the premiere on October 25, 1885. Brahms and Bach was well taken. The finale more than four symphonies. Mr. Schauffler According to one report, the symphony was of the Fourth Symphony is indeed a cha- then goes on to express an opinion of his a huge success, and the audience attempted conne or a passacaglia (the two terms, virtu- own: Brahms invested each of his four sym- by its applause to have the Scherzo repeated. ally interchangeable, apply to an old Spanish phonies with “more subtle artistry, intricate Another report, however, declared that there dance form, usually in triple meter, whose craftsmanship, wealth of original ideas, was little applause at all. basic theme, usually four or eight measures and emotional force” than lesser men put in length, is subjected to a series of continu- into their entire catalogue of compositions. The symphony was repeated at Meiningen ous variation). Brahms took the basic eight With this it is difficult to disagree. Certainly on November 1, this time with von Bülow chord theme for this movement from the it applies to the Fourth Symphony, a work conducting. Four days later, Brahms and bass line of the final chorus, “Meine Tage which, as we shall see, combines a gentle von Bülow took the orchestra on a tour of in dein Leiden,” of Bach’s Cantata No. 150, autumnal mood with the most ingenious Germany and Holland. Almost everywhere, “Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich,” which is musical inventiveness. the master and his newest creation were itself a chaconne. Upon this theme Brahms warmly received. Brahms’ own Vienna was constructed thirty-one variations and a final Brahms composed the Fourth Symphony somewhat less cordial in its response to the coda-music that runs the gamut from quiet during the summers of 1884 and 1885 at symphony when Hans Richter introduced it introspection to triumphant, almost defiant Mürzzuschlag, in the Styrian Alps of Austria. with the, Philharmonic on January 17, 1886. affirmation. Before he would allow the new work to reach the public, he sought the opinions of The Fourth Symphony found some of its We have encountered all manner of descrip- several trusted musical friends. He sent his earliest true appreciation in Leipzig, where tions of the first three movements of this own two-piano reduction of the score to his Brahms played it for the first time with the symphony-the resigned, almost sorrowful former pupil, Elisabet von Herzogenberg, Gewandhaus Orchestra on February 18, character of the first; the archaic quality of who played it over for Clara Schumann. Both 1886. In her two-volume biography of the the second, whose opening theme is cast in women liked the music immensely. Some of composer, Florence May quotes the review the old Phrygian mode (corresponding to the scale of E played only on the white keys of Symphony Orchestra has grown further in the piano), and the boisterous nature of the artistic stature. Today it occupies the envi- Scherzo. But Edwin Evans, who wrote pen- able position as one of the truly great orches- etrating analyses of every published work of tras of the world. Brahms, found much more of a kinship with Bach in the Fourth Symphony. The entire William Steinberg came to the Pittsburgh work, he asserted, was a combination of Symphony after seven seasons as conduc- the passacaglia and symphony forms, stem- tor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. ming from the symphony’s opening motive. Prior to that, he had appeared as guest con- The fusion of the two forms he pointed out ductor of the most important orchestras of as most apparent in the first movement; but the United States and Europe, and had also he also traced hints of it in the second move- directed highly successful performances ment; while he called attention to the strik- of opera in San Francisco and Mexico City. ing similarity between the second motive of Born in Cologne in 1899, he was a violin- the Scherzo and the third motive of the first ist at ten, a virtuoso pianist at fifteen and a movement. And he was not alone in pointing gifted composer at nineteen. He began his out that part of this passage in the Scherzo career in the opera house, serving first at is accompanied by an almost exact quotation the Cologne Opera and later at the German from the opening motive of the symphony. Theatre in Prague, the Berlin State Opera When viewed in this light, then, the great and the Frankfurt Opera. He first came to finale comes as a wholly logical summing-up international attention in 1936, when he of the composer’s unified symphonic idea. became the first conductor of the Palestine (Those interested in following the whole Symphony Orchestra. It was there that he process in closer detail are referred to Evans’ first met and became a protégé of Arturo Handbook to the Chamber and Orchestral Toscanini. In 1938, at Toscanini’s invita- Music of Johannes Brahms, Second Series, tion, Steinberg came to the United States as published by William Reeves, London.) associate conductor of the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Audiences in this country were The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was quick to recognize his tremendous gifts, and founded in 1926, a spiritual descendant of his career here has been a continuous cre- the old Pittsburgh Orchestra that played scendo of triumphs. Today he is hailed eve- under Victor Herbert and Emil Paur at the rywhere for the meticulousness, honesty and turn of the century. Elias Breeskin and warmth of his interpretations. Antonio Modarelli were the first conductors of the new group. In 1937, Otto Klemperer reorganized it into a major orchestra, and the following year Fritz Reiner began a ten- year regime, during which he elevated the orchestra to national prominence. After four seasons of guest conductors, William Steinberg became musical director in 1952. Under his inspired leadership, the Pittsburgh Some notes on the history of Everest Notice that now EVEREST engineers have tensile strength which effectively eliminates of EVEREST 35 mm equipment, EVEREST Records over 3 times the normal space available pitch changes due to “tape stretch”, a condi- engineers are able to make recordings and [than] on ¼” tape. This means distortion free, tion heretofore almost impossible to control. maintain the rigid standards and excellence When Everest Records was founded by perfect sound. 35 mm magnetic film allows of quality available in the Studios. 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