When I reviewed the LP issue in 1981 I made it clear that though I admired much of the performance, I could not entirely recommend it because of Haitink's excessively slow tempos for the first two movements—he makes them last altogether for 28 1/2 minutes; and that length of very slow Brahms is not only misconceived, it is plain tedious. (This is odd, for I generally have nothing but admiration for Haitink's judgement.) I backed up my view by discussing Brahms's directions and also by referring to metronome marks in the old Rieter/Biedermann edition which, though no doubt editorial, are nevertheless probably by an editor who had heard Brahms himself perform the work. These markings show clearly that the first piece should move more swiftly (crotchet = 80) than the second (crotchet = 60) as you would also expect from the character of the texts (chosen by Brahms himself, you may remember), for the first is consolatory, the next largely full of doom (''Behold all flesh is as the grass''). Haitink takes them both at the same intolerably slow crotchet = 52!
To turn to the good things. Best of all is Janowitz's singing of her solo which is surely incomparably marvellous. True, the tempo is again slow but it doesn't matter, since in between this and the opening you will have been stirred by the vigorous and splendid singing of the chorus, and Janowitz can sustain a slow speed with absolute poise.
The recording is notable for its excellent balance—the soft choral backing to her singing is just one example of excellent judgement. In the second piece the timpani are perfectly judged, while the very loud fugal ending to No. 3 is well contained by the recording. I thought the short off-beat chords in the quick section of Schicksalslied better on the CD version.'