Bernstein conducts Brahms: Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16

Incredibly enough, Brahms's orchestral serenades are still the Cinderellas of his symphonic output – rarely heard in the concert hall, but packed with all the poetry, wit and romantic colour of a young genius writing purely for pleasure. In this landmark performance from 1982, the Serenade No. 2 goes to the ball, with Leonard Bernstein bringing all his tenderness and the Wiener Philharmoniker supplying all its accustomed style to a score which – with its dusky, violin-free scoring – is unlike anything else in 19th-century music. Together, they reveal this neglected work as one of Brahms's most original and personal masterpieces.

Ensemble: 

Wiener Philharmoniker

Conductor: 

Leonard Bernstein