Viktoriya Molchanova

Professor Ayako Oshima

Wind Performance Class

18 March 2020

Brahms Symphony No. 1

I will be referencing the score for the Brahms Symphony No. 1 that I found on imslp.

Toscanini starts the first movement faster than Karajan yet both conductors ritardando in

measure eight on the last beat of the 9/8 bar right before the cadence. The second idea following

the opening thematic material is also treated differently by the two conductors. Karajan follows

his original slower tempo and does not do as much contrasting dynamics and rubato as

Toscanini. Karajan ends the section in measure 28 with a ritardando on the last beat like he did

the first time while Toscanini goes straight into the new section without the ritardando. I like

how both conductors treat the main opening theme with a strong forte dynamic and expressivity

since the line is ascending and very chromatic. Since the symphony is in c minor and was written

by a Romantic period composer, it is expected that the symphony will travel to distant keys

while the motives in the melodies will be very chromatic. Toscanini ends the first movement

with a brilliant atmosphere while Karajan ends it very calmly. I find it interesting that Brahms

wrote the first movement with very distinctive slow and fast sections. It almost feels as if it is a

piece on its own. I feel that Toscanini connects the movements more with less rubato in

transitions than Karajan. Overall I enjoyed Karajan’s slower tempo of the slow section because I

can have more time to feel the changing harmonies and melodic motives rather than speeding

through them like Toscanini does.

 Both conductors also treat the second movement differently. Toscanini starts in a slower

tempo than Karajan but does more phrasing with less rubato. I think Toscanini’s decisions help

him convey a happier, joyful atmosphere of E major which again is a distant key from C minor. I

think that phrasing has a much bigger impact in slower movements since it is important to feel

more contrast in a slower tempo. Rubato can be important in transitions before a cadence but if

used too many times, it can loose its magic touch. I like how both conductors balance the sound

from the winds and strings sections. Sometimes the strings can overpower the wind section

because there are more string players than woodwind players. When the winds have their solos,

the strings are quiet and phrase according to the soloist’s phrasing. Since Toscanini’s recording

is older, I prefer to listen to Karajan’s second movement more because it was recorded on high

quality equipment which is more advanced than in Toscanini’s time. In both recordings, I do not

like how the violins end the second movement with a very fast vibrato that sounds like a

mosquito. I would rather hear them hold the high G without vibrato which would help with

blending with the other voices.

I like how both conductors treat the third movement similarly. It starts out in E flat major

with hints of A flat and later modulates to multiple distant keys. Both conductors nicely balance

the melodies in the clarinet, the descending line of the flute duets, and the ascending string

arpeggios. Since the rhythm changes many times with the sections, both conductors do a great

job in changing the mood of these small sections through phrasing. However, the conductors end

the fourth movement differently. Toscanini remains loyal to his fast tempo while Karajan ends

the movement in a slower tempo with more ritardando. Here I like Toscanini’s musical

interpretation since it feels more like an end to a big symphony. Karajan stretches the ritardando

too much to the point that it is hard to feel a grounded end to the whole symphony.