The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra collaboration with William Steinberg exemplifies what Milstein could do with material often considered less than first rate. Milstein plays the concerto beautifully, with his typically aristocratic poise and a lightness of rhythm and purity of intonation that makes the music seem to float across the bar lines. The István Kertész inscription of Dvořák’s “My Home” fills out his survey of the complete symphony cycle for Decca.

Johannes Brahms’ four symphonies were greeted by his contemporaries as the most promising answer to Beethoven’s legendary legacy, and they have remained at the core of the symphonic repertoire ever since. Steering clear of poetic titles and adhering to traditional forms, they are nonetheless full of drama and musical innovation. This digital boxset presents the symphonies in chronological order, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Marek Janowski, one of the greatest interpreters of German Romantic repertoire.