Brahms' Symphony No. 1

While the prolific Gioachino Rossini could toss off an entire opera in a matter of weeks, not so for our other two composers. Beethoven labored so long over his first piano concerto that it inevitably became his second. Acclaimed debut artist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet gives an elegant interpretation of this witty and expansive work. And Brahms, keenly aware of Beethoven’s long shadow, did not finish his transporting First Symphony, often dubbed “Beethoven’s Tenth,” until he was 42. BSO debut conductor Johannes Debus proves that this program of treasured and timeless classics was well worth the wait.