★★★☆☆ Gergiev is tame and detached in these Brahms symphonies--a surprising misfire

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4

I've been enthusiastic about most of Valery Gergiev's output with the LSO Live, and when it was announced he would be leaving the orchestra in 2015, I was disappointed. It was intriguing to hear he'd be moving to Munich, since he has recorded very little of the standard Germanic repertoire. So his Brahms cycle with the LSO seemed a toe-dipping experiment before he acclimates to his upcoming post.

I respect Gergiev enough that even with no prior familiarity with him in this music, I looked forward to the cycle with high expectations. But when the first two symphonies were released last fall, I was disappointed to hear conducting that was unremarkable and withdrawn.

I had hopes that with this concluding disc, Gergiev would find himself back in his element, but I'm sorry to report that this is simply more of the nondescript conducting that defined the first release.
Did Gergiev go out of his way to tone down his abrasive personality in an attempt to be more suitable with the Germanic spirit? I wonder, as the lack of emotion is unusual for him.

The irony of this recording is that after years of being hammered by critics for being too self confident and dictatorial, Gergiev has turned out smooth, straightforward readings. I can't help but wonder if some of his usual detractors will find approval while his fans are let down. It's impossible to know, especially since almost no one listens blind these days, but while listening to this disc, I had to think of Neville Marriner more than once. Polished, elegant textures rule, yet the drama is almost entirely absent, reminiscent of the tamer variety of Brits.

In fairness to Gergiev, his phrasing does find a few new ideas, and there's moments we're reminded of his potential. He's significantly more interesting in the slow movements, actually, since his besetting weakness here is an inability to build momentum. I'll concede that he can be momentarily gripping, especially in the second and third movements of the Third Symphony.

But overall, these are simply professional readings from a detached conductor. Even as a fan of the LSO and a defendant of the sound of most of the LSO Live series, I find the orchestral sound here rather unsatisfactory. It never sounds truly full, partly due to the sonics, partly due to Gergiev, and also due to the fact that the orchestra simply lags behind some of its European counterparts in this repertoire. A quick comparison with Rattle's set with the Berliners, which so far dominates for the new millennium, shows how much more depth and variety abounds in these scores.

The Brahms symphonies are true masterpieces, and if Gergiev is routine, he is never flat-out dull, so I didn't need to force myself to listen to this recording. But even though moments occasionally spring to life, there's no reason to go out of your way when the catalog boasts greater readings from Karajan, Bernstein, and Tennstedt, among classic versions, and Rattle and Harding in the modern era. And for all my support of Gergiev, I'm frankly left a tad worried about his future, especially if he plans to spend more time in this repertoire.