Orchestre des Champs-Elysées . Philippe Herreweghe

'It is so cheerful and sweet; it's as if it had been specially written for newlyweds', said Brahms (1833-1897) about his Second Symphony. He wrote it in the summer of 1877 during a holiday on the Carinthian Wörthersee. Perhaps it was the surroundings that inspired him to write the 'Pastoral'; a title that Brahms never endorsed. Brahms was always a great supporter of 'absolute' music. The high-spirited melodies and its lively agility make it a genuine 'Viennese' symphony. The premiere in Vienna, conducted by Hans Richter, was immediately a great success. The enthusiasm for the piece held right through the tour that Brahms took around Germany. This Fourth symphony is a work of massive proportions. Externally, it is classical and perhaps even quite conservative in style, but its structure and composition are quite innovative; the finale in itself is already a compositional masterpiece. Brahms deliberately uses an archaic form known as the baroque passacaglia where the ground bass theme seems almost unchanged but actually forms the basis of an impressive series of variations that build towards a grand and dramatic finale. The ideal piece for Philippe Herreweghe and his amazing Orchestre des Champs-Élysées.