The eighth in the series of Masterpieces Performed by NHK Symphony Orchestra features three maestros conducting three Brahms symphonies. One of the pieces Fabio Luisi—appointed NHKSO's chief conductor in September of this year—chose for his inaugural commemoration performance was Brahms' Symphony No. 2 often referred to as the composer's "pastoral symphony." Here, we offer this brand-new performance to round out the three featured in this series. First up is the NHKSO performance Wolfgang Sawallisch conducted during his 2004 Japan visit followed by the 2017 concert helmed by Christoph Eschenbach, who had performed as the featured pianist with the NHKSO previously. Enjoy the three historical tentpole Brahms performances with an ear toward the influence a conductor and zeitgeist has on Brahms' music. NHK WORLD-JAPAN anchor Yamamoto Miki interviews music critic about the highlight of each performance.

• Miki Yamamoto
• Morihide Katayama