Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90
Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16

Leaving the best for last, conductor Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra conclude their acclaimed and punctilious cycle of the symphonies by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) with my personal favorite of all four, the Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90. There's a "cushy", informal sound to this orchestra and a relaxed yet highly detailed direction by Iván Fischer that befits the lush orchestral writing of Johannes Brahms. Unlike conductors like Günter Wand for example, that lend the music of Brahms a somewhat more severe demeanour, Fischer's highly expressive and less rigid approach generates a more genial sound.

Of their previous recording of the Symphony No. 2 I had written: "This is not a heavy, beefy, carved in granite account à la Klemperer or Toscanini by any measure. Instead, it gathers its energy from within the music itself until in the final movement, it ends with a radiant glow. The music of Brahms is often portrayed as being dark, serious and dense. Well, not from Iván Fischer's perspective." And of the Symphony No. 1 I had pointed out: "A deeply rooted and pervasive lyricism permeating every note. At the 3:00 minute mark of the final movement the alpenhorn melody interacting with a beautiful flute melody, followed by Wagnerian brass choirs, will just simply take your breath away." And this new recording leaves one with the exact same impression. The heart of this symphony, the beautiful Poco allegretto movement, with its slightly dark autumnal undertone, is warmly projected in this account and leaves one with a sense of deep regret for matters left unfinished.

If you have yet to experience Iván Fischer's outlook on the symphonic music of Johannes Brahms, this would be a great place to start. And now that the cycle is complete there's no need to stop there. They all offer a fresh take on these indispensable masterworks.