In my experience people are a bit conflicted about declaring their love for Brahms. Brahms is not the first composer you run into when you start getting into classical music. Apart from Hungarian Dances and the Lullaby, you get your Beethoven, Mozart and also perhaps Tchaikovsky and some pop-Bach before Brahms. You develop a love and loyalty to those guys first. They have unsurpassed strengths: Mozart is lyrical. Beethoven is romantic. Bach is sophisticated. Tchaikovsky is a ballerina. Brahms is all of the above, right? But you already love those other guys! It would not be fair to put him somewhere near the top of the totem pole where those indubitable greats are all already sitting on each other's shoulders! Would we be betraying our loyalty to them by placing Brahms beside them? Thankfully, music is a polyamorous affair. There is plenty of room in our hearts for more than one favorite.
I have taken my time with Brahms and now I love him just as much or more than the other greats. Every time I am feeling down, I go back to Brahms: his symphonies, concertos, chamber music and Ein Deutsches Requiem. The Requiem is one of the most powerful and moving pieces of music ever written. It is the Mass for the Souls of the Dead that makes me love life more than ever.
I own the Karajan version. People say all kinds of things about Karajan, it seems fashionable to put him down. Goddam nazi. Whatever. IMO, this performance is truly inspired.