Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98 / Academic Festival Overture, op. 80

This recording presents two orchestral works by Johannes Brahms composed in 1880 and 1885. The larger work is a late-Romantic symphony that consolidates Brahms's use of dense orchestration, complex harmonic language and contrapuntal development as a summative statement in his symphonic output, while the shorter concert overture employs buoyant, march-like motifs and ceremonial flourishes reflecting his engagement with academic and celebratory traditions.