Brahms: Symphonies/Staatskapelle Dresden/Thielemann

Aled Jones's Album of the Week, 25 August 2014

Christian Thielemann, one of the world's foremost conductors of German Romantic repertoire, is at the helm of the Staatskapelle Dresden in this complete cycle of Brahms symphonies, with additional concertos and overtures.

This album came in at No.9 in Classic FM's Album of the Year 2014. See the full chart here > 

Recorded live during the 2012/13 season, the piano concertos feature superb performances by Maurizio Pollini, and the violin concerto is played with warmth and vigour by Lisa Batiashvili.

Thielemann's vision is truly Germanic - tragic, epic, powerful and dark. It's a strong contrast to the recent award-winning cycle by Riccardo Chailly on Decca. And it's a fascinating exercise to compare the two.