Brahms Symphony No. 1 - Steinberg - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Redux)
Some may find Steinberg’s approach stern, even austere, especially when measured against later interpretations that sought more warmth, flexibility, or romantic sweep. Yet to hear this recording is to encounter a conductor who refused to sweeten or soften Brahms. Steinberg offers no shortcuts, no indulgences, only fidelity to the score and a seriousness of purpose that mirrors the composer’s own long struggle to bring the symphony into being.
As a result, this Command recording stands as more than a fine performance: it is a statement of artistic philosophy. In the early 1960s, Steinberg and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra were building an identity on the national stage, and this Brahms cycle, recorded with such technical ambition, played a crucial role in that ascent. Today, it remains a powerful testament to Steinberg’s artistry, to Brahms’s monumental vision, and to a tradition of music-making that values integrity over effect, discipline over display, and hard-won triumph over easy victory.
Title: Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Artist(s): William Steinberg & The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Recording Info: Recorded by Command Classics 1962 on 35mm film
Engineer Mastering: George Piros, Engineer
Recording Chief: Robert Fine
Producer: Enoch Light
Transferred from a Command 4-track tape
Components used for Transfer: Analog Transport: modified Nagra 4SJ tape deck with Flux Heads Preamp - Custom Tape Pre-amp designed by Victor Khomenko of Balanced Audio Technology
Digital: Merging Hapi Analog to Digital Converter clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Software: Merging Pyramix v15
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components
All components are grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
1 Un Poco Sostenuto; Allegro 14:04
2 Andante Sostenuto 10:21
3 Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso 4:41
4 Adagio; Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio 16:53
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