Swedish Co/Dausgaard - Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4, Tragic Overture, Hungarian Dances

Begun in 2012 with the release of Symphony No. 1, Thomas Dausgaard�s four-disc traversal of the symphonies of Johannes Brahms is here brought to a close with the composer�s final work in the genre. The E minor Symphony is sometimes described as Brahms� �elegiac symphony�, and has been called �one of the greatest orchestral works since Beethoven�. Typical for the composer is the striking degree of motivic relationships throughout the work. This includes the finale in which Brahms demonstrates his full mastery in a towering Passacaglia consisting of 30 variations and a coda. The smallish forces of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra contribute to a transparency and clarity which bring out the finer details of Brahms� compositional web.