this proves a release of distinctive character and many rewards...Although Manze has come from the 'period performance' movement, there is absolutely nothing pedantic in the readings he secures from his modern-instrument players...There are many instances of fresh thinking in his approach - and of fresh feeling.

These Brahms performances...suggest that Manze has brought an added subtlety and beauty to the orchestra's string-playing...The Haydn Variations and the Academic Festival Overture are both finely done. Elsewhere what we have is work in progress, not only for the orchestra...but also for Manze himself. Awash with insights and excitements though his readings are, he has yet to bring these within the fold of a settled vision.

Manze’s performances are quite outstanding. His interpretations are taut without being over-driven; at the same time he is sensitive to the emotional ebbs and flows of Brahms’ music, and his management of transitions is masterly.

You don't often find freshness and innovation in performances of the Brahms symphonies, but Manze's take is wholly individual: they burst with life, by turns wistful, yearning, sharp-edged and blisteringly incisive...Manze's vision provides more than an "early music" approach to Brahms: this is the composer reinvented for the 21st century.

With swift, flowing tempi and minimal vibrato, Manze's Brahms is lithe, clear and bold. His pulse within movements will be too flexible for some tastes, but much is organic-sounding and he is generally convincing.