Sorry, only so-so
DWAinLA | L.A., CA | 01/04/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I had high expectations - Sinopoli was a talented conductor - and some of his other dvds available here are described as "artsy" projects that combine musical shots with nature, or other scenic footage. So This one is pure concert, and it seemed like a better bet. Too bad it is a rather stiff performance, and the sound isn't great. On the concerto, the soloists are very out front, and dry sounding, like they are too close. (the opposite of my usual complaint). And on the Brahms second - I just don't hear any blend in the orchestra, and Sinopoli seems to really play it very straight. I know it might not be fair, but I pulled it off and put in Vienna with Bernstein - and the 1st 30 seconds of the same piece was like day and night. I'm not even comparing conducting styles here - the entire tone and blend just seems to be in another league. I'm always interested in different versions of the same works - but this one is not too enjoyable."