In his four symphonies, composed between 1876 and 1885, Johannes Brahms proved himself a worthy heir to Beethoven. Grand in their scale, they embody the warmth, nobility and expressivity of the Romantic era. Conductor Kurt Masur – like Brahms – exemplifies the German musical tradition. The respected Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, he became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1991, achieving a triumphant fusion of Old World spirit and New World dynamism.