This performance of the (Brahms) First Symphony is formidable competition for even the best that the current catalogue can offer. B?hm’s performance is of wonderfully rich detail, the woodwind soli full of character, the orchestral colouring beautifully judged: where Karajan presents a blended totality of sound, B?hm is intent that we should see both the wood and the trees. B?hm’s view of the Symphony is urgent and vigorous: though he does not miss the broad strength of the introduction, the ensuing allegro has a purposeful athleticism that contrasts most strikingly with the heavy grimness of Karajan’s reading. The introduction to the finale is also an instructive comparison: Karajan sees it as an eloquent lament, B?hm as a transition of unbearable tension – one almost dreads that the great C major theme will not, after all, arrive. This is a noble performance that no Brahmsian should miss hearing, regardless of his current preferences; it is excellently recorded. - The Gramophone Magazine
