Bernard Haitink, London Symphony Orchestra - Brahms: Serenade No 2, Symphony No 3 (2004) [SACD]

In these days of flamboyant incompetence & tasteless mediocrity, it is a wonderful thing to still have Bernard Haitink alive & well & conducting. 1st of all, Haitink is a supremely competent conductor with a superb baton technique & an almost unmatched ability to balance an orchestra & shape a movement. 2nd of all, Haitink is a supremely tasteful conductor who never imposes his will on the music through his interpretations, but rather allows the interpretation to arise from the music. Alas, neither of these qualities is much in evidence these days.
Nor, seemingly, are these qualities much valued, hence this disc of Haitink conducting Brahms with the London Symphony on LSO Live & not Philips or EMI. This is, of course, Philips & EMI’s loss because Haitink & the LSO’s performances of Brahms’ delightful Serenade No. 2 & courageous Symphony No. 3 are as fine & as deep as any new recordings of the works in the past quarter century. Haitink’s Serenade is bright & cheerful & romantic in the most bucolic possible sense & his Symphony is warm & passionate & immensely moving. In both pieces, the LSO plays with virtuosity & dedication & the live sound is a real & vivid as anything recorded in the studio by 1 of the major labels. Anyone who loves great conducting & especially great Brahms conducting will love this disc.