Munch & Orchestre de Paris / Brahms: Symphony No. 1 This is a famous recording, known as one of the most powerful performances among the many recordings of Brahms' Symphony No. 1. The high tension is something that could only be achieved through the personality of the conductor, Munch, and the performance of the orchestra, which wholeheartedly agreed with him and played as one. The rare sense of elation and ecstasy brought about by this high level of energy has a special appeal. Of course, it's not just the dramatic parts that are amazing. The colorful performance in the middle two movements, imbued with gentle beauty, vividly reflects the skills of the virtuosos who had been members of the Orchestre de Paris (formerly the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris) until the previous year. The Orchestre de Paris was originally reorganized in 1967 at the request of André Malraux, the then Minister of Culture and a writer, and Marcel Landowski, the Director of Music and a composer, by dissolving and reorganizing the prestigious Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris. Charles Munch was appointed as the principal conductor, and the orchestra began its brilliant activities as a representative orchestra of France. The first concert was held on November 14, 1967, with performances of the "Symphonie Fantastique" and "La Mer," followed by a tour of the Soviet Union in April of the following year and a North American tour six months later. However, Munch, 77, suffered a heart attack in Richmond, Vermont, during the tour and died suddenly. The Brahms Symphony No. 1 with the Orchestre de Paris, recorded on this album, is a representative example of such performances, and it is a valuable and important record along with the Symphonie Fantastique, Ravel, and Honegger recorded around the same time. In addition, for the release of this domestic version, "ART (Abbey Road Technology)" remastering, familiar from EMI's Great Recordings of the Century series, was done at Abbey Road Studios in the UK. By the way, the overseas version was discontinued quite some time ago and is not currently released. ・Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 [47:58] Orchestre de Paris Charles Munch (Conductor) Recording date: January 8, 12, 1968