Brownsfan, I'll see if I can grab up those recommended CD's from the public library. The library does purchase a good number of classical recordings but they typically make ill informed choices.
Anyway, so you're saying that the review that you read on the Manze Brahms was that it's run of the mill? Then there seems to be some inconsistencies between reviews, here are some citations from the review on ArkivMusic;
'Nevertheless, these recordings have much to commend them, and Manze achieves his goal, whether h.i.p. or post-h.i.p., of breathing new life into works stifled by their own performance traditions.'
'Fortunately then, the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra ensures that every moment in these recordings is worth focusing on. The balance is excellent, a result perhaps of Manze going for a moderately sized string section. Vibrato in the strings is present but minimal, while the woodwind soloists are permitted a little more wobble. The constrained tones of the horns and trombones contribute most to the 19 th century atmosphere of the orchestral sound. The SACD sound is excellent, and the recording really benefits from the warm but clear acoustic of the Helsingborg Concert Hall.'
'Something different, then, to add to your Brahms collection. Manze pursues his aesthetic ideology quite doggedly here, but never at the expense of the results. He's too much of a professional to let his scholarship ever stand in the way of his intuitive musicianship, which must surely have played just as big a role in the formation of these interpretations.'
The reviewers on Amazon also give praise to his set so that's from where I've been formulating my expectations. This best way of course is to hear it for myself.
