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Nigel Simeone chooses his favourite version of Brahms' 3rd Symphony in F major, Op. 90

The work was written in the summer of 1883 at Wiesbaden, nearly six years after he completed his Symphony No. 2. In the meanwhile Brahms had written some of his greatest works, including the Violin Concerto, two overtures (Tragic Overture and Academic Festival Overture), and Piano Concerto No. 2. The first movement begins with a musical theme that spells the notes F-Aâ™­-F which is thought to represent Brahms' personal motto, frei aber froh (free but happy). He had first developed this motto many years earlier in response to Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who himself had already adopted a personal motto F-A-E, frei aber einsam (free but lonely). The influential music critic Eduard Hanslick said, "Many music lovers will prefer the titanic force of the First Symphony; others, the untroubled charm of the Second, but the Third strikes me as being artistically the most nearly perfect."

Recommended Version:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Eugen Jochum (conductor)
Warner Classics 5695152

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