The Vienna Philharmonic plays wonderfully with a rich sound, and the golden horns and lower strings shine and shimmer in an audible sense, giving the listener a real sense of beauty and heart warming feeling. Carlo Maria Giulini (1914-2005) recorded this Brahms 2, along with the 1, 3, and 4 in 1989-1991 live concerts with the VPO for Deutsche Grammophone, as his testament in these works. Giulini had recorded all four Brahms symphonies with the Philharmonia (EMI), and 1 and 2 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic about 1980 (DG). This Brahms 2 has been criticized for excessive slow tempos and not enough sense of forward motion.

I agree that I and IV here are slower than in many versions, but they are very beautiful and acceptable to me. I will listen to this recording again in the future, even though I do like I faster than Giulini's Vienna version. But I can also see why some listeners and critics believe Giulini's Vienna Brahms, particularly here, is just TOO slow.

Of Giulini's other Vienna Philharmonic Brahms recordings, I liked number 1, 3, and 4 very much. They are thoughtful and introspective, not the "Music at half speed" comment one writer made about them! This Brahms 2 is very fine, but you have to be able to accept slow tempos in I and IV. Beautiful sound.