Beethoven: Symphony No. 3; Leonore Overture No. 3

On this CD:

1. Leonore Overture No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch

2. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ("Eroica"), Op. 55
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch

Tracks:

I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio
II: Andante Cantabile Con Moto
III: Menuetto & Trio: Allegro Molto E Vivace
IV: Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace
I: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
II: Andante Molto Mosso
III: Allegro - In Tempo D'allegro - Tempo I
IV: Allegro
V: Allegretto

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assai
III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro Vivace
IV: Finale: Allegro Molto - Poco Andante - Presto
Gross Fuge

Tracks:

I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio
II: Larghetto
III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro
IV: Allegro Molto
I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Andante Con Moto - Piu Mosso - Tempo I
III: Allegro -
IV: Allegro - Presto

Tracks:

I: Adagio - Allegro Vivace
II: Adagio
III: Menuetto: Allegro Vivace - Trio: Un Poco Meno Allegro
IV: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
I: Poco Sostenuto - Vivace
II: Allegretto
III: Presto - Assai Meno Presto
IV: Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

I: Allegro Vivace Con Brio
II: Allegretto Scherzando
III: Tempo Di Menuetto
IV: Allegro Vivace
Overture
Overture
Overture
Overture

Tracks:

I: Allegro Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - Christa Ludwig
II: Molto Vivace - Presto - Christa Ludwig
III: Adagio Molto E Cantabile - Andante Moderato - Christa Ludwig
IV: Presto - Recitativo - Allegro Assai - Alla Marcia - Christa Ludwig
Overture - Christa Ludwig

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Largo
III: Rondo: Allegro Scherzando
I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Adagio
III: Rondo: Molto Allegro

Tracks:

I: Allegro Con Brio
II: Largo
III: Rondo: Allegro
I: Allegro Moderato
II: Andante Con Moto
III: Rondo: Vivace

Tracks:

Fantasia For Piano, Chorus And Orchestra
I: Allegro
II: Adagio Un Poco Mosso -
III: Rondo: Allegro

Amazon.com essential recording

Otto Klemperer's Beethoven is one of the towering achievements in the history of recordings. By today's standards, these performances are hopelessly old-fashioned: dark, heavy, and frequently very slow. But they are also the grandest, most unsentimental, most purposeful versions in the catalog. In addition, the relatively slow tempos (only in the fast movements--the slow ones are pretty swift) and forward wind balance permit more detail to be heard than in most original-instrument performances. At budget price and with the entire piano concerto cycle thrown in for good measure, this is greatness incarnate. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Great Performance.......2007-07-07

There are many different ways to perform Beethoven and each one is valid.
If you like it fast - go to Toscanini or Norrington. If you prefer slow, powerful and majestic, this is your set. Towards the end of his distinguished career, the great Otto Klemperer set down his final views of the performance of these symphonnies. The set is a coherent whole and will give great pleasure for ever. The challenging mix of the young Barenboim and the aged Klemperer worked surprisingly well and thus the concertos may also be recommended. There are odd additional items which add to the pleasure. Finally do not forget to purchase his memorable set of 'Fidelio' to complete your traversal of a great conductor giving great performances of a composer that he loved. Finally the price is ridiculously low and provides quality and quantity at a great price. Thus you should be able to buy the opera set from the savings made!

Great Analog Beethoven Cycle.......2007-05-07

This Klemperer cycle is just one of a dozen or so GREAT analog Beethoven symphony cycles that were recorded during Analog's golden age starting about 1958. These cycles are easily a match for digital and they should still be around for another 1,000 years, if the Lord tarries. These sets include: Karajan (twice, early 60s and late 70s) Bohm, Krips, Jochum, Bruno Walter, Leinsdorf, Rene Leibowitz, Szell, Ormandy, Bernstein, Steinberg, and Solti. This morning I listened to the Klemperer recordings of Beethoven's symphonies 5, 6, & 7. Very enjoyable, I got my Beethoven RDA fix.

Of all these Analog sets, I most enjoy the Leibowitz Spring 1961 cycle with the Royal Philharmonic. I have this cycle on an audiophile early 90s European import Edition Phoenix label special pressing "on extra virgin vinyl." These are by far the best analog symphonic lps I have ever heard from a recording standpoint. BY FAR! And they will rock your house.

You can almost justify Karajan's 4 recorded Beethoven cycles and one video based upon improvements in recording technology. Thru Rhapsody, I have listened to his mid 50s cycle and the orchestra sounds great, but the recording quality is sub par compared to Analog's golden age. So the rational for 4 cycles would be, (1) recent great improvements in recording technology (early 60s), (2) it has been 15 years and he has grown as an artist (late 70s), (3) we now have digital! Let's do one of the first Beethoven digital cycles (80s).

Klemperer is a no-brainer. I do not have to think twice about plopping one of his lps onto my turntable or hitting the play button at Rhapsody. When the music starts, the listening pleasure begins. Don't miss his Bruckner symphony recordings!

An essential collection.......2007-04-25

How best to describe Otto Klemperer's perspective on Beethoven's symphonies: grand, heroic, intense, insightful, stubborn, obstinate, detailed, dramatic, monumental, granitic, deeply emotional, never sentimental. This boxed set of the complete symphonies and concerti embodies all of these elements as stands as one of the great achievements of recorded music.

These performances were recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra at its peak, in the sumptuous acoustics of Kingsway Hall in London and in fine and detailed sound, and mostly in the mid-1950's during one of the brief charmed periods of Klemperer's life. EMI's impresario Walter Legge had made him permanent conductor of the Philharmonia, and when Klemperer embarked on this project in his 70's, he was in relatively good mental and physical health (Klemperer could show symptoms of manic depression and survived many health crises - brain tumor, broken bones, paralysis - which would have stopped most people).

By this time Klemperer had slowed the tempi of the fast movements of the Beethoven symphonies (listen to his early 1950's recordings of the 5th and 6th on Vox to hear by how much). This tendency is more pronounced in these studio recordings than in the live performances which were recorded during that era. The slowness is mostly saved by Klemperer's use of "sprung" rhythms, which keep the slow tempi from feeling laggardly.

Klemperer's earliest recordings in this series - symphonies 3, 5 and 7 - predate stereo and were recorded in excellent monaural sound. He rerecorded all three of these symphonies in stereo, but those recordings were made after he burned himself by falling asleep while smoking in bed. All three performances feature slower tempi than the earlier ones (whether this was the conductor's preference or the result of physical incapacity is open to conjecture). In particular, the rerecorded 7th suffered from lax phrasing, inattentiveness and perverse tempi. That is NOT the version contained in this set: fortunately, EMI had simultaneously recorded the earlier version of the 7th in "experimental" stereo, and it is that earlier version which is released here (and in remarkably good stereo). The versions of the 3rd and 5th are the rerecorded stereo ones.

You will find no finer studio versions of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th or 8th. All are insightful, beautifully detailed and powerful. The 2nd clearly looks forward to the 3rd and not back toward Hayden, the 4th is boisterous and vital, the 6th bucolic and sumptuous (not a quality normally associated with Klemperer), the 7th gains in drama what it loses in swiftness and lightness, and in the 8th in particular we see the conductor's empathy to Beethoven's sense of humor. Klemperer had a deep affinity for the "Eroica", and the rerecorded version here, while slower than the 1955 recording, was dubbed by "High Fidelity"'s Harris Goldsmith (no Klemperer fan, he) as "the best Eroica going slow" and is a monumental masterpiece (the second movement is shattering). The 1st, while leisurely, is a lovingly crafted.

That leaves the 5th and 9th. There is no doubt in my mind that the earlier, mono 5th is superior to the remake in this set. We lose that sense of an inevitable onslaught, especially in the outer movements. And the 9th, while similar in conception to the live versions recorded around the same time (on Testament with the Philharmonia and on Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw), suffers from diffuse sound and occasional lack of focus. I emphasize that these recordings of both symphonies are still head and shoulders above most of the competition; we're talking about different levels of greatness here.

Are there superior Klemperer recordings of these symphonies? Yes; but all are live, and despite the relatively good reprocessed sound, they don't reveal the same level of detail that these studio recordings do. Klemperer was a very different conductor in front of an audience, and there is more vitality and drama in the live versions of the 3rd (Testament, with the Danish Symphony), 6th 7th and 8th (Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw) and the 9th (see above). Music&Arts' set of the complete symphonies, recorded live in Vienna in 1960, is long out of print and had cramped sound with poor detail - a supplement to this set, not a replacement.

As to the piano concerti: they are better than one might expect. Barenboim, although steeped in the Germanic performance tradition, is more naturally aligned with the Furtwangler and Edwin Fischer than with Klemperer. However, the two of them actually work together extremely well and this is a fine, insightful set.

Any complete cycle of Beethoven, symphonies or concerti, will have drawbacks. There will be unevenness in the performances, as there are here. But there are advantages to hearing one musician's perspective on the works, especially when (as here) the performer has depth of understanding, integrity of vision, and a structural understanding of the pieces.

The digital remastering is excellent and the sound barely shows its age. This may not be your only complete set of Beethoven's symphonies, but it should be one of them. And at a price this low, it's a bargain too.

The best value in classical music on CD at the moment..........2007-01-02

What is the best value in classical discs available today ? Who knows, but I defy anyone to beat the EMI compilation of Klemperer' recordings of the complete Beethoven Symphonies, Piano Concertos (with Barenboim), several overtures the Choral Fantasia etc etc. 9 discs for only $44 ( well that was the price I paid). You have got to be kidding... I only had two concerns with buying this. First on the age of the recordings, all more than 40 years old. No worry at all. This is a masterpiece of reconstruction. The sound quality indistinguishable from any modern recording. Secondly , the performances themselves. I had been warned that Klemperer notoriously chose rather slow tempi. Again I needn't have worried. I immediately went to the slow movements of the 2nd piano concerto and the fourth symphony, where many slow tempists have in the past come unstuck. The piano concerto was an absolute revelation. The combination of the youthful Barenboim and the Philharmonia's masterful playing time and gain had me on the edge of my seat. " Yes,go on, well...." Slow it may have been. Boring, never. The same applies in spades to the slow movement of the fourth. Right from the eerie opening, which is yes, very slow indeed, I knew this movement would be a revelation and I can honestly say I have never hear it better played. Follow this with a scherzo bounding in energy and thumping finale and you will never get a better performance of this, one of Beethoven's "lesser" symphonies. And I haven't even got round to the "biggies" yet! The box set looks unattractive and the portrait of Klemperer makes him appear a first class nerd. Pay absolutely no attention to this....

Wonderful Performances.......2006-04-07

I have admittedly not made it through the entire set as of yet, but feel sufficiently blown away by the First Symphony and the Eroica - particularly the second movement of the latter - to weigh in here. With respect to the tempo issue, I must - at least so far - argue in favor of Klemperer's decision to slow things down a bit. I think the effect is, as someone else has observed, a clearer and more visceral experience of Beethoven's composition. It brings out the feeling. The sound comes up a little short on the low end, but it isn't a major distraction. My only problem lies in EMI's inexplicable lack of any discussion of the performances. The notes are bland, dry descriptions of the pieces themselves, with some basic history thrown in. Given the fact that there are probably hundreds of different CDs of Beethoven's symphonies out there, all with similar explanatory notes, it is infuriating that nothing is said about these particular performances. This is in contrast with the EMI Bach set (with Yehudi Menuhin) in which there is a wonderful essay that discusses Menuhin's work in historical context.

Average customer rating:

Great value!

The Story of Beethoven

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001KCZ
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Tempo Di Minuetto - Guiomar Novaes
Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 9 - Guiomar Novaes
Minuet in G Major, Wo0 8, 10/2 - Guiomar Novaes
German Dances, Wo0 8, Nos. 1 & 2 - Arthur Hannes
Sonatina, Anh. 5/2 - Guiomar Novaes
Appassionata - Guiomar Novaes
Overture to 'To Creatures of Prometheus,' Op. 43 - Arthur Hannes
Andante Con Moto - Arthur Hannes
Emperor - Guiomar Novaes
Andante Ma Non Troppo - Guiomar Novaes
Allegro Con Brio; Marcia Funebre - Arthur Hannes
Allegro Con Brio; Allegro - Arthur Hannes
Poco Sostenuto - Arthur Hannes
Pastorale (Excerpts) - Arthur Hannes
Allegretto - Arthur Hannes
Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72 - Arthur Hannes
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 - Arthur Hannes
Adagio Sostenuto; Presto Agitato - Guiomar Novaes
Allegro Ma Non Troppo; Presto - Guiomar Novaes
Allegro - Guiomar Novaes
Adagio Un Poco Mosso - Guiomar Novaes
Rondo: Allegro - Guiomar Novaes

Customer Reviews:

Great value!.......2007-01-04

Though I haven't listened to all of the CD's in this series which I ordered, I am very impressed with the ones I have listened to. Very enjoyable and informative, and the price couldn't be any lower!!!

Average customer rating:

The Best Beethoven Symphonies Recording I've Ever Heard
Solti's Beethoven is mainly for his fans.
big shouldered beethoven from the city of big shoulders...
Solti's Great Beethoven- an essential!
The benchmark recordings for the Beethoven nine !

Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041XV
Release Date: 1990-09-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: I Adagio molto - Allegro con Brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: II Andante cantabile con moto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: III Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: IV Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: I Adagio molto - Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: II Larghetto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: III Scherzo: Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: V Allegro molto - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': I Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': II Marcia funebre: Adagio assai - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': III Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': IV Finale: Allegro molto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Overture 'Egmont', op. 84 - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: I Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: II Andante con moto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: III Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: IV Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: I Adagio - Allegro vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: II Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: III Allegro vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: IV Allegro ma non troppo - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': I Allegro ma non troppo - Awakening Of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival In The Country - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': II Andante molto mosso - By The Brook - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': III Allegro - Peasants' Merrymaking - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': IV Allegro - Thunderstorm - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': V Allegretto - Shepherd's Song. Happy And Thankful Feelings After The Storm - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Overture 'Leonore' No. 3, Op. 72a - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: I Poco sostenuto - Vivace - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: II Allegretto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: III Presto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: IV Allegro con brio - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: I Allegro vivace e con brio - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: II Allegretto scherzando - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: III Tempo di menuetto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: IV Allegro vivace - L.V. Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: II Molto vivace - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: III Adagio molto e cantabile - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: IV Presto - Allegro assai - Andante maestoso - Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato - L.V. Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

The Best Beethoven Symphonies Recording I've Ever Heard.......2007-06-20

This is absolutely a gorgeous recording. It is uplifting and some of the softer sections of the 9th Symphony are so beautiful it brings tears to your eyes.

The Karajan Beethoven Symphonies of 1963 which many rave over is a casualty of not transferring from analog to digital well. Though Karajan's interpretation is wonderful, it is overpowering to the point of speaker overload in the stronger parts and too weak in the softer parts which is typical of old live analog orchestra recordings transferring to digital.

I think Sir Georg was the last of the conductors of his time and style, which is very sad. There will never be a kind like him or Karajan again.

Solti's Beethoven is mainly for his fans........2007-04-22

Although there are some great moments in Sir Georg Solti's last Beethoven Symphony cycle, recorded 1986-89, there are generally better recordings available.

First of all, Sir Georg's tempos in Symphony I: IV and Symphony 2: IV are break-neck, and almost reckless, so much so the Chicago players have trouble staying together!

The recording job throughout is acceptable, but the orchestra does not sound that realistic or immediate, and Decca's usually rich bass and midrange don't come through as in many other Solti recordings. The record level is low, and one has to boost the volume quite alot to get any sense of presence.

I don't think as highly of this set as some listeners might, as I have other recordings of Beethoven I turn to more often: Karl Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic (DG, rec. 1970-72) especially for Symphonies 2,3,4,5,6, and 8; Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic (DG, rec. 1977-9); Szell/Cleveland (Sony Essential classics, rec. 1959-68) for Symphonies 1,3,4,and 9;
Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic (DG, either the 1961-2 or 1975-77 cycle, both available as complete sets); Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony (Sony: Symphonies 2,3,4,6, and 8); Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra (Sony: Symphonies 5,6 and 8 - may be hard to find in April, 2007) or even Solti/Chicago Symphony in an earlier analog cycle (London, rec. 1972-74) which has sound with better presence: more defined bass, than this recording. Those who are Chicago Symphony fans and MUST have one of their recordings could seek out any of the Fritz Reiner/Chicago Beethovens: Symphonies 1,3,5,6,7 and 9 are still available (RCA).

In light of the competition, I'd pass on this one.

If you like Solti/Chicago, consider their recordings of the Brahms Symphonies (London, 4 CD set). And for SOLTI fans, he recorded the Beethoven Symphonies 3, 5 and 7 with the Vienna Philharmonic (Decca, 1958), a recording I have not heard, but have read is very good, better than either of Solti's Chicago Beethoven Symphony recordings.

big shouldered beethoven from the city of big shoulders..........2006-08-06

This is a broad, powerful, heavy-duty Beethoven symphony cycle, free of idiosyncracy, that can stand as a benchmark to measure against more unconventional interpretations, a kind of golden mean of Beethoven. Decca's spacious sonics foregrounds Solti's attention to orchestral detail; all the sections, particularly the low strings and the winds can be heard to beautiful effect. Solti's tempos are expansive, and as befits a great opera conductor,incident rules over architecture. The decade from the late '80's to the late '90's was a stellar period for Beethoven symphony cycles. The four best, each completely at odds with the other, are Gardiner (period performance practice, Beethoven as French revolutionary, martial, manic, zealous); Barenboim (Wagnerian, deep orchestral colors, expressive tempos); Harnoncourt (raw,fusing Barenboim's personal expressiveness and Gardiner's small forces and fast tempos --Beethoven as untamed avant gardist, somewhere between Bach and Schoenberg); and this set, where Solti utilizes a Wagnerian orchestra with strong on-the-beat phrasing (Toscanini to Barenboim's Furtwangler). This conductor was the last of the old-school Middle Europeans in the field, and one of the only members of his breed to benefit from a first-rate band recorded with clarity in digital sound. (Karajan's late Beethoven cycle is to be avoided at all cost). If you like your Ludwig Van straight up, technocratic, without weirdness or surprises, then this set is for you (I mean that as a compliment...)

Solti's Great Beethoven- an essential!.......2006-05-22

Reviewers would tell you that Karajan's first Deutsche Grammophon recordings is the Beethoven cycle to own. While I believe that Karajan's string-rich virtuoso view of Beethoven's score is refreshing, a quick comparison of the score and Karajan's music shows that he often takes a very Wagnerian (rubato) view of the score. Most people believe that Wagnerian entails a brassy, loud "heavy-metal" handed interpretation of the music. This, however, is a misconception that needs to be erased. Unlike Wagner, Beethoven had metronome markings in his score that a conductor needs to interpret to music to make the music sound right. Also, the development in the symphonies' musical and emotional structure are aided by these score markings to make it easier for the conductor to bring forth the composer's message. Karajan took a Wagnerian style of conducting in the sense that he changed some of the tempi to his liking. Solti, however, follows Beethoven's score in a German Romantic tradition. This means that there is a transparency to his conducting, but not to the degree that Szell takes with his Beethoven. Every musical detail is heard, and the strings are very well accentuated too. Karajan's recording emphasized the strings too much and drowned the other instruments. I find that although his Beethoven symphonies can be rather ravishing, it does not offer a very complete vision of the music.

These Chicago recordings (recorded by possibly the greatest symphony in the world at that time, the CSO) are undoubtedly the work of a conductor who knew the intentions of Beethoven very well and respected them. I highly recommend this set for anyone who wants to listen to Beethoven as it should be performed.

The benchmark recordings for the Beethoven nine !.......2005-10-16

Some say the Karajan (1963) are better. Well it may have sounded so *inside the hall* when Karajan played it back then. But the recording is pretty awful. I own the set and am thinking of tossing them out. But then it shouldn't come as a surprise because it was recorded in ..umm..1963.. using primitive equipment.

This Decca DDD set, like all Decca DDD recordings, are just spectacular ! The sound is rich, clear and room filling with plenty of bass in the strings, something most other recordings seem to lack. I have heard many versions of the Beethoven nine, Szell, Bernstein, Karajan, Muti, Levine, Chailly and others - but this is the one that sets the benchmark.

(ps: For # 3, I prefer the Levine/Met (DG, 4D recording) version )

Furtwangler Conducts Beethoven - Beethoven: symphonies no 3,4,5, & 9, Leonore

Average customer rating:

Furtwangler's Beethoven
Amazing! Outstanding! Essential!
Glorious
Remastering an old recording
Just Get It

Furtwangler Conducts Beethoven - Beethoven: symphonies no 3,4,5, & 9, Leonore

Manufacturer: Music & Arts Program
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00001W09Z
Release Date: 2006-01-01

Tracks:

Beethoven Symphonies

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: I. Allegro Con Brio

Amazon.com essential recording

These may be the most gripping performances of Beethoven's symphonies you'll ever hear. No, not necessarily the most enjoyable or even the most accurate, but gripping--to say the least. In these wartime performances of Symphonies Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9, Wilhelm Furtwängler is at his most expressive, angry self. Conducting six of the world's greatest symphonies for audiences in Nazi Germany, Furtwängler has an inner turmoil that seems to shoot straight through his baton. He drives the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics to the edge of disaster, but miraculously they keep up--rising to the occasion. The Eroica and the Ninth are particularly emotion-filled; the latter features the great Bruno Kittel Choir and the BPO in fine form, but they--like everyone else here--are overshadowed by the conductor's bipolar mood swings and furious pacings. Brace yourself. These are shocking, awesome, thought-provoking performances that--thanks to a great remastering--have never sounded better. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Furtwangler's Beethoven.......2007-04-14

This set belongs next to Schnabel's piano sonatas and the Busch's string quartets as one of the great Beethoven sets in recorded history. There certainly is no better monetary value for Furtwangler's Beethoven. The 3rd, 4th, and 9th are especially definitive. Compared to Furtwangler's later performances, these are tighter, more intense, and faster-paced. It is mainly in the 6th and 7th that you miss the warmer Furtwangler of his later recordings.

No. 3 is intense, concentrated, and perfectly proportioned. I differ with some who consider the 12/8/52 to be Furtwangler's greatest 3rd. While the sound of that one is fantastic, to my ear it is just the slightest bit more slack in concentration when compared to the '44. In any case, these are easily the two best recordings of the work available, and they are both essential. Listen to the '52 for beauty of sound and phrases lengthened to their max, but the '44 would still be my desert island 3rd.

No. 4 is simply the greatest performance on record, giving a whole new level of emotional depth to this symphony.

No. 5 is for many Furtwangler's best. It is certainly well-played and perfectly proportioned. There are several Furtwangler recordings of No. 5 that are deserving of attention, and choosing between them is a matter of strong debate. For me, the two that arise above all others are the 5/23/54 and 5/25/47. The '54 is simply astounding. It is a perfect performance in fantastic sound for its time. It really knocks you out of your chair. This is the recording for people who want to know what all the fuss was about Furtwangler's Beethoven. (How on Earth did the man conduct like this just 6 months before his death?) The '47 is also special for its edge-of-your-seat spontanaity. While not as good in sound quality as the '54, it is more fleet and rhythmically free. The rousing coda of the finale has to be heard to be believed - Furtwangler at his most magical. There is also a deleted DG recording two days later in better sound, but not quite as inspired. The '44 is still a great performance, but for me Furtwangler reached greater heights in these two later recordings.

No. 6 is one that perhaps misses some of the warmth of Furtwangler's later recordings. It is still a great one, particularly in the storm, and the playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is magnificent. You really get the sense of the storm slowly subsiding and sunshine peering through the clouds in the final movement. Like the 5th's with which they are paired, the 5/23/54 and 5/25/47 are the performances that show Furtwangler at his best. The '54 is pretty definitive and in great sound.

No. 7 is exciting and dramatic. Though it has much to recommend it (listen to the beautiful tempo fluctuations in the scherzo), I sometimes miss the more patient pacing of Furtwangler's later recordings. The '53 DG recording is probably his best, with excellent tempo transitions and a rousing conclusion to the finale. The sound is also very present and clean for the period. The '50 EMI recording is not far behind.

No. 9 is simply the greatest orchestral recording ever made of anything. Yes, some will say it is too intense, but what else do you want with this symphony? You simply cannot go back to other interpretations after hearing this one. Only the '51 Bayreuth performance comes close. That one is a good alternative for hearing cleaner sound and some strong brass playing. The '54 Lucerne is by far the best-sounding. However, it does not have the same intensity as the other two. By comparison, it almost sounds tired. Of course this is all relative: The '54 Lucerne still puts every other recorded version after Furtwangler in the shade. And then there is also the '37, which is dimly recorded but still exhibiting Furtwangler's unique intensity.

And let us not forget the overtures, particularly the '43 Coriolan. Along with the '42 9th, this is also one of the greatest orchestral recordings ever made. Astounding drama and concentration. Unfortunately, Furtwangler's definitive '47 Egmont on DG is not presently available.

In short, run out and grab this set while also complementing it with a few of Furtwangler's later recordings. My desert island choices for Furtwangler's Beethoven symphonies would be:

3rd: '44 and 12/8/52, 4th: '43, 5th & 6th: 5/25/47 and 5/23/54, 7th: '53, 9th: '42 and '51

Amazing! Outstanding! Essential!.......2007-04-12

This set collects some of the greatest and awesome Beethoven interpretations in world history. Their classical status is unmatched: at the conductor's rostrum, we have Wilhelm Furtwängler at the height of his exceptional understanding of Beethoven's music. The context of the recordings is WWII, mainly in the wartime Germany (of course, Vienna belonged to Germany after the 1938 "Anschluss", but I choose to see Vienna as the capital of Austria). Like some other great artists and intellectuals, Furtwängler decided to stay in Germany during the Second World War. But unlike disgusting opportunists like von Karajan, he never joined the Nazi party - in fact, he even refused to shake Hitler's hand.

Of course, Furtwängler's impeccable moral contributes to his greatness. Just listen to his magnificent ninth, with its humanist message. It's a breathtaking performance that should move everyone to tears.

Here are the recordings dates of the performances in this box:

Symphony 3: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, 19-20 December, 1944.
Symphony 4: Berlin Philharmonic, 27-30 June, 1943.
Symphony 5: Berlin Philharmonic, 27-30 June, 1943.
Symphony 6: Berlin Philharmonic, 20-22 March, 1944.
Symphony 7: Berlin Philharmonic, 31 October-3 November, 1943.
Symphony 9: Berlin Philharmonic, 22-24 March 1942. (Solists are Tilla Briem, Peter Anders, Elisabeth Höngen, and Rudolf Watzke.)

Music & Arts' remasterings (made by Maggi Payne) are very good. Of course, what we have here are old mono, live recordings, so don't expect HiFi quality. But what you can expect are recordings of the century, essential for any music collection.

Strongly and warmly recommended!

Glorious.......2007-02-10

Impossible to put into mere words the effect of these tremendous performances: they are glorious, powerful, sublime. True these are
(excellently remastered) mono recordings of live performances more than 50 years old, so there is some noise and some harmonic distortions also. But the music and the performances completely and thoroughly transcend this, even on the finest audio equipment. Your Beethoven collection is simply not complete unless you have this one, and also the Bayreuther 9th from 1951 (also available on EMI classics). Indeed, once you have these, you may find you don't want to listen to any other cycles of these symphonies that you may have, however fine and technically perfect they may be.

Remastering an old recording.......2007-01-09

If you want to experience how Beethoven was played 40 years ago, then buy this CD set. But beware of sound quality and some technical glitches. In addition, audience noise can be distracting.

Just Get It.......2006-09-22

...even if this is the only CD of Beethoven's Orchestral Works you ever buy.
Even though they are in mono, old, noisy, with pitch variations at places (but still remarkably good transfers), for many of the works here it's safe to say that you have not really heard them unless you have experienced these recordings.
Four of the works (4,5,6,7) are great performances, but there are other great ones out there as well.
However, the recordings of the ninth (BPO Mar'42) and third (VPO Dec'44)symphonies as well as the Coriolan and Leonore III overtures are definitive and unique, and each of them is by itself worth the price of the whole set. The only downside to getting them is that it might become hard to be attentive to most other recordings afterwards.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Famous Overtures
Spectacular
Excellent
The best Overture Album !

Famous Overtures

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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William Tell & Other Favorite Overtures
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Favorite Overtures
Suppe: Overtures

ASIN: B00002MXN4
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Light Cavalry - Suppe
Ruslan and Lyudmila - Glinka
La Traviata - Prelude, Act I - Verdi
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg - Prelude, ACt I - Wagner
Les Francs-Juges - Berlioz
Le nozze di Figaro - Mozart
Egmont - Beethoven
Oberon - Weber
Academic Festival Overture - Brahms
Pique Dame - Suppe

Tracks:

Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna - Suppe
Il barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini
Prince Igor - Borodin
Carmen - Prelude, Act I - Bizet
Der fliegende Hollander - Wagner
Leonore No 3 - Beethoven
Hansel und Gretel - Humperdinck
Khovanshchina - Mussorgsky
Poet and Peasant - Suppe

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2006-06-30

First of all anything with Sir Solti's name on is worth purchasing. Solti has such a way with interpreting music! If you like overtures this CD is for you. It has the best overtures here in one collection. With orchestras like chicago, london, and the vienna you cannot argue with the performances. There are a few "weaker" ensembles, but when compared with the other ensembles there are few that will not sound weak. Again any work Solti has done is worth purchasing!

Famous Overtures.......2005-08-16

Did not like the way these musical pieces were "interpretted".
Did not like the tempo and in one piece one of the instruments played a portion which I would say they played a flat instead of a natural note. This is based on hearing the same pieces played by someone else, it's just my opinion.

Spectacular.......2003-09-25

Not only does it include some of the most famous overtures, but they are played in such an exciting style, full of life and passion. The Suppe overtures are superior and the Wagner overtures are wonderful as well. There is not a bad point to this recording - highly recommended!

Excellent.......2002-06-11

This is an excellent collection of overtures, especially of Von Suppe's overtures. Solti truly brings out life in these pieces.

The best Overture Album !.......2000-02-28

If you like overtures, here is the album. Never have these been performed so musically and with such excitement. The orchestras involved vary in their abilities, yet the Chicago, Vienna, and London Symphony perfom with style. Solti loves this music and it shows.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, etc / Bernstein

Average customer rating:

This 5th Problematic? Not For Me.
Glorious
Ludwig's Continuing Assault

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, etc / Bernstein

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41 / Bernstein

ASIN: B000001GE1
Release Date: 1990-07-24

Tracks:

Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro con brio
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Andante con moto
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro
Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro
Leonore III Op.72a: Adagio -- Allegro

Customer Reviews:

This 5th Problematic? Not For Me........2007-04-26

I was blown away. It was even finer than when I heard the recording last time. Being able to have this kind of experience is almost a privilege. It's also therapeutic. The music, when played this way, wipes out any doubt on whether life is worth living. I love the way Bernstein and Vienna Phil transform the score into a living creature. The timbre is bright and rugged. It is a muscular performance but also extremely expressive when required. I can understand some will have a hard time agreeing with the slow tempo of the 1st movement. Whether one can enjoy it or not, I believe, depends on how open-minded he is. If you only want to feel the forward moving urgency in this movement, you can never deviate from the Carlos Kleiber kind of interpretation. What Bernstein highlights are the movement's resilient and steady qualities. It really sounds like a struggle yet to be resolved. 2nd movement is full of expressivity and insights. One feels that Bernstein loved this music to death. The characteristically reedy woodwinds of Vienna Phil shine here. 3rd and 4th movement deliver as much vitality as any performance and more. I love the rustic tone of the brass here. I love the incisiveness of strings which do not show any sign of smooth-out. On top of all these, you get the very recognizable Bernstein moments that hit like lightnings.
I think I will take a break from Fischer's 33-CD Haydn box, which I have been enjoying in the past weeks, to thoroughly enjoy this magnificent Beethoven cycle all over again.

Glorious.......2004-06-12

Although there isn't any fathomable way I can improve upon the previous reviewer, as I am still smirking at his/her remarks, there is a way I can review this piece, or aptly named, masterpiece. Bernstein, one of the greatest conductors, conducting the Beethoven 5, possibly the second greatest symphonies ever written. This performance is simply stunning.

I have discussed with my peers how, unlike the 9th, the 5th has four outstanding movements. Bernstein's reading of this piece is flawless, perfect, unbelieveable and phenomenal.

Ludwig's Continuing Assault.......2002-11-26

Symphony No. 5's opening notes--third best known in the civilized world, after Yankee Doodle (thanks to the Voice of America) and the last Britny Spears bestseller (thanks to Satan and his minions)--furthered Beethoven's assault upon what was then known as musical convention. This piece, when conducted by the late Bernstein, does the impossible: it improves upon perfection. Crisply performed, recorded by producers who cared (as opposed to giving the sound short shrift while waiting for Boston or the Bee Gees to fill the hall and produce profits), and conducted by a Leonard before the cocktail hour, we find greatness Plus One. The Leonore No. 3 adds a well appreciated lagniappe. A masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Mostly good
Look at the List of Performers First
this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France
You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks!
Buy my box Set!

Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062FLHE
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Mostly good.......2007-05-26

A bit of a mixed bag. The symphonies are superb. This is one of the great symphony cycles. The piano sonatas are good, very good (analog) sound. The quartets are well recorded indeed, but there are better cycles out there. The rest is OK, and the sound is genrally good.

Look at the List of Performers First.......2006-11-17

If you want most of Beethoven sitting on one bookshelf, this is a great bargain (especially if you shop for it on amazon.de). But few if any of the performances represent the pinnacles of interpretation that most listeners demand when Beethoven is the composer. The symphonies for instance: can Blomstedt be compared to Furtwangler or (if you lean toward historically informed instrumentation) Gardiner? Most amazingly, the artists who perform the quartets -- the heart of Beethoven's music -- are not even named in the listing.
On the other hand: Vivaldi: The Masterworks is a collection including the very best interpreters, such as Fabio Biondi! Bach Edition (complete Bach) is a fabulous selection of recordings made over 20 years, and almost the same praise can be given the Complete Mozart.

this "masterworks" series is available much more cheaply from Amazon France.......2006-05-28

there are several sets in this series and it's much cheaper to buy these from Amazon France.

included are bach, beethoven, vivaldi, brahms, dvorak, schubert, handel, hayden, and mendelssohn.

they're even cheaper than the list price once u go through the checkout (VAT is removed for overseas (out-of-france) purchases).

**also, the 'complete works of mozart' set is much cheaper there (or at Amazon Germany), too. the 'complete works of bach' is due out later this year.

You heard guy below: Beethoven needs the royality checks! .......2006-04-07

There is quality beyond the Austrian green cardboard (which is lovely to look at, to say the least). In fact, the performance of the symphonies (Dresden Staatskapelle and Herbert Blomstedt) is alone worth the price. The Staatskapelle is a solid group, and Blomstedt, although less wellknown, holds his own. It should be mentioned that Blomstedt recorded many of the most celebrated 20th composition CDs on the market, and definitely knows his stuff. Peter Wohlert recorded mostly for compiliation lables, but to be selected by the Berlin Phil shows that he is a formdiable conductor in rank as well.

Should you buy this collection then? Given the fact that each CD cost $1.75, there is definitely the bargin factor. However, Beethoven's music desveres the top interpreters and musicians of our time - and this applies for all of his music, not just the symphonic. If you are into bargins, then proceed to buy this collection. However, if you save up a bit more, you can buy Karajan's 1963 Beethovens symphonies along with Kempff's 1956 sonata cycles for just a bit more than 70 bucks. Shop around for the string quartets, and the complete overtures should range anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks depending on the conductor/ensemble.

Overall, this is certainly an exceptional bargin. However, quality matter more than money. Besides, chicks dig people with sophisticated tastes.

Buy my box Set!.......2006-03-21

Awesome deal, 40 CD box set of me, Beethoven! There are 3 principle reasons you should buy this box set:

This box is QUALITY my friend, made of the finest, Austrian cardboard with a lovely green finish, it is made to last! You can just set it on your dresser and whenever you need a Beethoven fix you can just pull a CD out. But don't you hate getting your CDs out of order so you can't find what the hell you're looking for?! Not with this set! They are well organized into symphonies, concerti, sonatas and such, so you can find EXACTLY what your looking for, and they have big numbers on them so you can put them right back where they belong.

And the music! Need we go into this, composed through the inspiration of God himself and penned by the greatest composer who ever walked the streets of Vienna, me, Beethoven! Top notch, all done by top performers and recorded at high, clear, digital quality, stick one in your stereo and rock out man! All of my great and mighty works are here, absolutely sublime!

Lastly, you'll be supporting me, I need those royalty checks to keep rolling in!

Buy it if you love me or just buy it if you want people to think that you're sophisticated (the chicks also dig it, I should know: Antonie Brentano, giggity!), you can't go wrong!

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 'Eroica'; Leonore Overture No. 2

Average customer rating:

Fine Beethoven 3rd Symphony and Lenore Overture from Haitink, LSO
A pleasant, prim Eroica--what is Haitink up to?

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 'Eroica'; Leonore Overture No. 2

Manufacturer: Lso Live UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000GH3CXE
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assi
Scherzo And Trio
Finale: Allegro Molto
Leonore Overture No.2

Customer Reviews:

Fine Beethoven 3rd Symphony and Lenore Overture from Haitink, LSO.......2006-09-15

Bernard Haitink's latest Beethoven symphony cycle may lack the passion and excitement found in other recently recorded cycles using the Jonathan Del Mar-edited Barenreiter Edition of these symphonies, but I don't think that these are apt criticisms of this recording of a fine account of the Beethoven Third Symphony and a superb performance too of the second Leonore Overture (The most passionate, exciting version I have heard yet remains Claudio Abbado's revelatory, quite dazzling interpretation, among the highlights in his latest Beethoven symphony cycle with the Berliner Philharmoniker. And yet, I might add that Abbado doesn't observe the repeats in the first movement, while I believe Haitink does in this recording.). However, I suspect that not only will it not be dismissed by most classical music critics and fans, but instead, it will find ample praise in some circles. Haitink offers a fine, often fascinating, account of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony which pays ample homage to period instrument practice and is blessed with exemplary playing from the London Symphony Orchestra (Indeed, I find this version far more interesting than his critically acclaimed Philips recording from the 1970s - or is it 1980s - with him conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.). Haitink's latest traversal favors rather brisk tempi, with the only disappointment being the second movement's "Funeral March", which doesn't seem as appropriately dour as others I've heard lately, most notably Abbado's. However, unlike a previous reviewer, I don't regard this as a fundamentally flawed aspect of this performance, but rather, a unique interpretation offered by this venerable conductor; moreover, I think the London Symphony Orchestra offers inspired performances from its winds, horns and strings from the opening notes of the riveting first movement to the very end of the last. Having enjoyed this freshly realized, vivid account of the Beethoven Third Symphony, I am eagerly looking forward to hearing the rest of Haitink's new Beethoven Symphony cycle; judging from this recording, it most likely is one blessed with superb direction from Haitink, superlative playing from the London Symphony Orchestra, and last, but not least, splendid digital recording from the LSO Live recording team. If my predictions bear fruit, then this latest Beethoven symphony cycle will be one sought after by devout fans of classical music, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Bernard Haitink.

A pleasant, prim Eroica--what is Haitink up to?.......2006-08-09

So far, Haitink's live Beethoven cycle from London has displayed touches of period style and very little passion or heroism--it's almost prim. That's certainly true of this Eroica. Never a great Beethoven conductor, Haitink still retained a great deal of vitality when I last heard him a few years ago in Bsoton. Yet the first movement here is slack and uninvolving. The touchstone movement is the funeral march, taken quickly and without any hint of grief or majesty. What is Haitink thinking?

The Scherzo is quick-paced and pleasant; Haitink doesn't dig into the phrasing, which was fatal to the funeral march, but in this movement he shows more robustness. The LSO evidences some spirit for the first time, and the recording is clear and natural. The finale is quite brisk at 11 minutes. Haitink speeds thorugh almost without pause, certainly without expressive detail--it's as if he's in a hurry to catch a cab.

I was amazed to see when the Gramophone recently picked Haitink's earlier Sym. #2 and #6 as a recording of the month. I am prepared to be amazed a second time if they go for this Eroica. Well, LSO Live is a regular advertiser.

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly better than its reputation, and the CSO is glorious
Great 9th, and I Mean Great! The Rest is Average to Awful, I'm Disappointed in Solti
Beethoven's Funeral...
Not really recommended...
You say tomatoe, I say Beethoven!

Beethoven: The Symphonies

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041Z4
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in c, op.67: I. Allegro con brio
Sym No.5 in c, op.67: II. Andante con moto
Sym No.5 in c, op.67: III. Allegro
Sym No.5 in c, op.67: IV. Allegro
Sym No.2 in D, op.36: I. Adagio molto-Allegro con brio
Sym No.2 in D, op.36: II. Larghetto
Sym No.2 in D, op.36: III. Scherzo: Allegro
Sym No.2 in D, op.36: IV. Allegro molto

Tracks:

Sym No.3 in E flat, op.55 'Eroica': I. Allegro con brio
Sym No.3 in E flat, op.55 'Eroica': II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
Sym No.3 in E flat, op.55 'Eroica': III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Sym No.3 in E flat, op.55 'Eroica': IV. Finale: Allegro molto
Ovt 'Egmont', op.84
Ovt 'Coriolan', op.62

Tracks:

Sym No.6 in F, op.68 'Pastoral': I. Allegro ma non troppo (Awakening of cheerful feelings...)
Sym No.6 in F. op.68 'Pastoral': II. Andante molto mosso (By the brook)
Sym No.6 in F. op.68 'Pastoral': III. Allegro (Merry gathering of the country folk)
Sym No.6 in F. op.68 'Pastoral': IV. Allegro (Thunderstorm)
Sym No.6 in F. op.68 'Pastoral': V. Allegretto (Shepherd's song. Happy and thankful feelings...)
Sym No.8 in F, op.93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio
Sym No.8 in F, op.93: II. Allegretto scherzando
Sym No.8 in F, op.93: III. Tempo di menuetto
Sym No.8 in F, op.93: IV. Allegro vivace

Tracks:

Sym No.7 in A, op.92: I. Poco sostenuto-Vivace
Sym No.7 in A, op.92: II. Allegretto
Sym No.7 in A, op.92: III. Presto
Sym No.7 in A, op.92: IV. Allegro con brio
Sym No.1 in C, op.21: I. Adagio molto-Allegro con brio
Sym No.1 in C, op.21: II. Andante cantabile con moto
Sym No.1 in C, op.21: III. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
Sym No.1 in C, op.21: IV. Adagio-Allegro molto e vivace

Tracks:

Ovt 'Leonora' No.3
Sym No.4 in B flat, op.60: I. Adagio-Allegro vivace
Sym No.4 in B flat, op.60: II. Adagio
Sym No.4 in B flat, op.60: III. Allegro vivace
Sym No.4 in B flat, op.60: IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Sym No.9 in d, op.125: I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso

Tracks:

Sym No.9 in d, op.125: II. Molto vivace
Sym No.9 in d, op.125: III. Adagio molto e cantabile
Sym No.9 in d, op.125: IV. Presto-Allegro assai-Andante maestoso-Allegro energico, sempre ben marcat - Pilar Lorengar/Yvonne Minton/Stuart Burrows/Martti Talvela/Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly better than its reputation, and the CSO is glorious.......2007-05-23

Solti recorded this Beethoven cycle from Chicago between 1972 and 1975. The first thing to say in its favor is that the sonics are up to Decca's analog standards, with lots of detail, dynamic range, and punch. That suits Solti's style in Beethoven, because although he reins in his trademark fierce attacks and driving tempos, he's still aggressive. It's not so much that he sides with Toscanini against Furtwangler, but that he performs Beethoven from the outside, marshalling all the externals while revealing almost nothing of his own feelings for the music. Millions of CD buyers clearly like his style, and since I hadn't heard all his Beethoven symphonies, I thought I'd survey them.

CD1 contains the 5th and 2nd symphonies, which sound much the same under Solti's direction. He pulls Beethoven forcefully out of the classical world of Haydn, an effect amplified by using a full modern orchestra. The lovely slow movement of the Second is bulked up beyond what we hear nowadays, and the Scherzo proceeds with startling sfozando accent that stab at the rhythm. The finale is fast and efficient. Strangely, the Fifth could use more of this propulsion. After a biting attck at the famous motto, the strings become almost mechanical. Solti needs to supply vitality form the inside, but he doesn't. As a result, all the movements sound proficient and impersonal. The CSO brass dominate the finale, as you'd expect, but Solti's tempo lags a bit behind Beethoven's Allegro con brio.

CD 2 is devoted to the Eroica and two overtures, Egmont and Coriolan. The opening movement of the symphony is surprisingly old-fashioned and measured, but accents are strong. In its broad, forthright way it's convincing, despite moments when vitality lapses. The funeral march is serious, dignified and well-paced. If only Solti could find it in himself to be moved, because without that, we won't be. The Scherzo is exemplary and the horn trio a thrill (it's taken at tempo but not fast). The impression of a traditional Eroica is underscored in the finale, which is more respectful than abandoned. The two overtures are in the same vein, their chief virtue being the orchestra and the recorded sound. Still, this is one of the more successful CDs in the set.

CD 3 brings a fairly familiar pairing, the Pastorale and 8th symphonies. Solti would seem to be ill-suited to the gentler, bucolic side of Beethoven, but he is never less than skillful and respectful. The Pastorale finds him in a relaxed mood--I'm not sure I'd call it genial--and frankly the results are more successful than Karajan's over-poolished, emotionally frigid accounts. The Chicago strings remain sweet and almost Viennese throughout. After a proficient Scherzo in the style of Szell (no actual peasants allowed) and with excellent wind solos, the storm proceeds without undue shocks. In other words, it doesn't inspire Solti to brutality. The finale needs more joy and reverence, but it is robust and direct. In all, one of Solti's best efforts in Beethoven.

The 8th opens with a too-heavy Allegro vivace, but Solti is in good humor and doesn't drag things down. To me, this symphony requires the kind of wit, delicacy, and effervescence as Mendelssohn, and since Solti only gives us a traditional Germanic account, with sharper than usual accents, I am not ovelry enthusiastic. But as a filler to the Sixth this is more than adequate, and one can always fall back upon the gorgeous playing.

CD 4 gathers the 7th and 1st Symphonies, an odd pairing. The 7th requires an exceptional reading to efface memories of Kleiber and Karajan, specialists in this work. Solti isn't inspired, but the CSO plays with blazing commitment, which counts for a lot (they were just as good for Reiner in his classic account on RCA Living Stereo). LIsteners who want to hear lots of horns in the mix will be more than satisfied. Solti's rhythm could be crisper in the first movement; the Allegretto is taken a bit faster than the norm in German readings but isn't light-footed. The Scerzo is alert, speedy, and totally successful. I always hear Karajan's searing finale in my ears, but Solti comes fairly close. In all, a good Seventh keeping up with the Eroica and Pastoral.

The 1st Sym. copies the style of the 2nd in being ig-boned, forceful, and romantic. The recording is especially good, giving us lots of woodwind detail and impact in the orchestra's wide dynamic range. There's not a puny note here, which is a mized blessing in a work that cries out for delicacy and wit. Of its overblown kind, however, this is a good reading that never sags.

CD 5 contains the Leonore Over. #3, the 4th Sym., and the first movement of the Ninth. Splitting the 9th on to two discs isn't a sin, but Decca has been stingy with timings: most Beethoven cycles fit on 5 CDs without overtures, or perhaps one. Solti's Fourth is in the same traditional style as his Eighth; it's given weight and iportance but ddoesn't sag. Despite a fairly impersonal slow movement, the other movements are satisfying. The Leonore #3 is forceful and dramatic, lacking only what it must have: blazing inspiration. But if you have hung in this long, I think you will find Solti better--and more traditional--at Beethoven than his take-no-prisoners reputation would lead us to believe.

CD 6 completes the 9th Sym., whose first movement on the preceding CD, was forthright and dramatic but lacking in mystery. If you just want to hear a first-rate orchestra playing in excellent sound, this certainly fits the bill. If you want to hear a new or individual take on a masterpiece, it doesn't. The Scherzo proceeds very well, with Solti keeping the rhythm alive and alert. The Adagio, at 19 min., is one of the slower ones; this tempo requires the conductor to keep an unwavering conentration. Solti certainly controls his forces well--even Karajan doesn't give us a better played rendition. But by trying for a hushed, reverent atmosphere, Solti misses the music's spsiritual intensity. This is one movement you must conduct form the inside, from your own deep emotions, and Solti doesn't.

The theatricality of the choral finale is more up his alley. He's ore involved, and the exciting parts are very exciting, with the CSO lower strings outdoing all rivals for richness and accuracy. Solti's apaproach is too straightforward, however, missing much in terms of real eloquence and emotional depth. Marti Talvela makes a stunning, sonorous bass soloist, and the rest of the quartet is fine. The Chicago chorus is world-class, of course, and far exceeds the woolly, wobbly Vienna Singverein that Karajan used three times on DG. Several reviewers have called this 9th the high point of Solti's cycle, and I tend to agree.

In sum, a more satisfying Beethoven set than I expected, with excellent sonics and great playing from the CSO. Solti isn't profound, but his other virtues shine through.

Great 9th, and I Mean Great! The Rest is Average to Awful, I'm Disappointed in Solti.......2006-02-05

First the good part, the 9th symphony here is tremendous, very powerful, spiritual and moving. The power of the first two movements is immense, the adagio spacious and deeply involving. The last movement has some of the finest soloists and choral work you're ever likely to hear. I would say overall, Solti's conception of this music is very Furtwangler-esque and it works! It's better than Karajan! I've owned this great Ninth for years on a separate CD in the mid-line Penguin Classics series.

Loving that Ninth I wanted to find out what special qualities Solti might have brought to the rest of the Beethoven cycle, so I bought it. BIG MISTAKE. First off, why is the Ninth Symphony here split between two discs? It could easily have fit on one. The people at Decca must be absolute morons. So you have the best performance in the cycle split to two discs, idiotic!

Let's look at the rest of the performances. The first two symphonies are well played but are not nearly as exhilarating or intense as Karajan or even Bernstein! The 2nd symphony's larghetto slow movement is 13 and a half minutes. It sounds gorgeous but might be a bit too slow for most people in this performance. It typically takes 10 or 11 minutes. The Eroica is disappointing, with slow, bloated playing, nowhere near as exciting as Karajan. Solti takes the exposition repeat in the first movement and stretches the Allegro Con Brio to 19:34, very slow indeed! The rest of the symphony drags by, not generating much excitement. The 4th symphony is dull in Solti's hands and so is the Pastoral, the 7th and the 8th. I was really bored by the famous 5th. I expected this baby to be like lighting in Solti's hands, it comes out flat and dull in the first movement and lacks triumph and power in the grand finale. Just listen to Karajan's 1962 Fifth to truly get the power and bite of this awesome music.

So this cycle isn't so hot but it is still better than Solti's later digital cycle he recorded in the 1980's. Those performances are worse than these here and the sound in the 80's versions is less vibrant than these here.

For the most part, it would be beneficial and time saving if you skipped this Solti set of the symphonies, get Karajan if you crave a complete cycle. Just be sure to buy Solti's Ninth from this cycle separately in the Penguin Classics series. Solti is truly inspired in the Ninth symphony, like Furtwangler was for an earlier generation!

Beethoven's Funeral..........2005-10-21

...and Solti's music is the processional. Of all old school directors such as Karajan, Toscanini, etc., Solti's performances are simply morbidly slow to the point of killing the grieving attendants with boredom. The cacophony of the oversized orchestra doesn't help either. Solti's interpretations are even too slow for a requiem. You think a regular interpretation of the 7th's second movement is slow? Wait 'til you hear this one; you're going to need a massage you'll be so stiff. The 9th symphony march is supposed to be a brisk revolutionary march calling the citizens to arms and to join the militia marching through a town. With Solti you imagine only a funeral procession coming through the town. In the Fifth the whole orchestra is almost struggling to slow down to match the strings. Karajan's interpretations are not particularly fast either but at least he breathes some life into them and the orchestra. I personally like Toscanini in terms of the old 20th century symphonic conductors and Gardiner's traditional interpretations that are at least at a correct speed and give the listener the impression they are marching off as part of a revolutionary batallion to bring liberty to the oppressed instead of being rolled to the morgue. Beethoven was a revolutionary anti-monarchist and strongly supported the idea of political change. Solti's interpretations are simply too sluggish and indecipherable to represent such ideals. Solti would definitely be my last choice for anything. You won't lose anything by not buying these pieces that's for sure: his interpretations are so slow they would simply fossilize you.

Not really recommended..........2005-05-03

Sorry folks, but I am perr-itty dissapointed in this nice little boxed set. Why?

Well, firstly the Symphonies are broken up. For example: #5 with #2, #7 with #1, and then in the 9th you get the Leonore Overture 3, then symphony #4, then the first movement of the 9th!, then you have put on the next disc for the rest of the ninth! Oh Boy!

Secondly, the sound quality is not the demonstration quality one expects from Decca during those amazing analogue years. The sound has been all muddied up. The sound is a little low, with none of the clarity and the brilliance coming through in the recordings.

Thirdly, Solti doesn't deliver as you know he should. Standard readings with a bit of extra insight, but nothing of that typical drive. It seems that Beethoven isn't Solti's composer par excellence! He doesn't understand him as say, Klemperer or Karajan understands Beethoven...unfortunatly.

Solti and the CSO didn't really know each other so well back in 1972/74, and you can tell. I'd imagine that their later digital cycle would be more authoratative than this first set.

I still like my Klemperer and my Karajan(any) sets!

You say tomatoe, I say Beethoven!.......2005-01-06

I believe one of the dissenting reviewers remarked that Beethoven was not a romantic period composer and was in fact a member of the late classical, possibly squeezing into the early romantic, period. As such Solti's readings of the symphonies are "too loud and too slow." I will not dwell too long on just how reductionist and completely alien to the composers themselves the whole notion of 'periods' and 'phases' really is. It is simply our all too human obsession with ordering and categorising things - forcing that which we are unable to, or incapable of completely comprehending into nice, easily digestable portions. But in the typically blunt words of Marx, "Valery is a petit bourgeois but a petit bourgeois is not Valery".

Whilst several viewers are citing Solti's intrepretation of the first movement of the 'Eroica', celebrating Napoleon and the French Revolution (a dedication he unhesitatingly withdrew) as a detractor from this set, I must say that for me this is one of the sets many highlights. The seventh from start to finish is revelatory, the ninth, in particular the beautiful slow third movement, forces you to stop what you are doing and listen. Sure it would be nice to have the ninth all on one disc but then it would be nice to get this set for free - point being that it is at most a pedantic annoyance, technology shouldn't get in the way. Go buy an mp3 player and you won't look back on this score.

Where some say slow I say majestic, where some say loud, I say intense and inspired. This is intentional music-making; there is nothing passive or accidental here and those after a more filigreed reading, those shop owners seeking after mere elevator music and infoline filler, music that won't stop your customers dead in their tracks, then avoid this set like the plague.

Average customer rating:

One of Karajan's best Beethoven Symphony cycles
Fine Analog Performance
Bring me the desert island, please.
Karajan's best Beethoven cycle for combination of performance and sound
under the surface

Beethoven: Nine Symphonies

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
Schubert: Symphonies 5, 6, 8 & 9; Rosamunde Overture
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5

ASIN: B000001GBT
Release Date: 1990-07-03

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantabile con moto
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 4. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: 1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: 2. Adagio
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: 3. Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60: 4. Allegro ma non troppo
Overture, Egmont, Op. 84: Sostenuto, ma non troppo - Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 1. Adagio - Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 2. Larghetto
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 4. Allegro molto
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: 2. Allegretto
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: 3. Presto
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: 4. Allegro con brio

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Erocia': 1. Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Erocia': 2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assi
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Erocia': 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 'Erocia': 4. Finale. Allegro molto
Overture Leonore No. 3, Op. 72A: Adagio - Allegro

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 1. Allegro con brio - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 2. Andante con moto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 3. Allegro - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 4. Allegro - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 2. Allegretto scherzando - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 3. Tempo di Menuetto - L.V. Beethoven
Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 4. Allegro vivace - L.V. Beethoven
Overture Fidelio, Op. 72B: Allegro - L.V. Beethoven

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale': 1. Awakening Of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival In The Country - Allegro ma non troppo
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale': 2. Scene By The Brook - Andante molto mosso
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale': 3. Merry Gathering Of Country Folk
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale': 4. Thunderstorm
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastorale': 5. Shepherd's Song: Happy And Thankful Feelings After The Storm
Overture To H. J. von Collin's Tragedy, Op. 62: Allegro con brio
Overture 'The Creatures Of Prometheus' To Salvatore Vigano's Ballet: Adagio - Allegro molto con brio
Overture 'The Ruins Of Athens' From The Music To A. von Kotzebue's Play: Andante con moto - Allegro, ma non troppo

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 1. Allegro manon troppo, un poco maestoso - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 2. Molto vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 4. Presto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 4. Presto - Final Chorus From Schiller's 'Ode To Joy' - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Amazon.com

This is hedonistic Beethoven, though in listening to these accounts one wonders sometimes whether Herbert von Karajan may not have confused sex with love, and physicality with emotion. At least he seems more concerned with opulence of sound and weight of texture than with psychology or substance. Yet while his interpretation has neither great emotion, nor struggle, nor a sense of spiritual release, it certainly has great beauty and exhilaration. The readings are typical of the "massaged" style of performance Karajan cultivated in Berlin during the 1970s, and which Andrew Porter famously critiqued when he likened the results to Kobe beef. There is a certain softness under all that muscularity, though for the most part Karajan shows his usual strong grip and maintains the balance of lyrical and kinetic elements. The Berlin Philharmonic, at its peak when these recordings were made, is a marvel: even if its playing is rarely fiery or spontaneous, its sound is plush, succulent, and exilaratingly rich. Karajan uses a big orchestra all the way through, even in Symphony No. 1--which as a result sounds rather massive, though not heavy (the brisk scale in the violins at beginning of the fourth movement is delightfully airy). In addition to their polish, his readings are notable for their high energy level. This is particularly true of the Eighth, one of the most successful items in the set, which is interpreted in a way that clearly shows its connection to Seventh. On balance, the accounts run from very good to outstanding (Nos. 4, 8 and 9), but only rarely do they approach the transcendent. The recordings, made in Berlin's Philharmonie, are close-miked and mastered at a fairly high level, and sound is impressively firm. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

One of Karajan's best Beethoven Symphony cycles.......2007-04-20

Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) recorded the Beethoven Symphonies four different times: with the Philharmonia Orchestra (early 1950s, EMI); with the Berlin Philharmonic (1961-62, DG); again with Berlin (1975-77, DG: THIS recording), and finally, in Berlin (1982-85, DG). Most critics consider either the 1961-2 or THIS recording to be Karajan's best Beethoven Symphony cycle. (The EMI has cramped sound, and the last cycle shows Karajan's eccentric side: somehow it doesn't "jell" and sound like Beethoven to me - it's more Karajan than Beethoven.)

These have Karajan's best Beethoven Symphony 5 and Symphony 6 recordings. The Berlin Philharmonic has the lush, rich sound Karajan was known for and will be remembered for by future generations of music lovers. The other symphonies are all very fine, too.

I should state my allegiences are for Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic (DG, 1970-72) in most of these symphonies. I also like Szell/Cleveland (Sony) for Symphonies 1, 3, 4 and 9; and Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony for Symphony 3,4,5, and 7 (Sony). Thomas Beecham's EMI recordings of Symphonies 2 and 7 with the Royal Philharmonic are worth seeking out.

Karajan is very fine, if you don't have an allegience to a given conductor, as I do to Karl Bohm.

Fine Analog Performance.......2007-03-12

Karajan has been one of my favorites for the past 30 plus years and I have many of his recordings on lp and cd. One of the few things I collect are lp box sets. This set I own on vinyl and it either just got posted to Rhapsody or I just ran into it. Rhapsody now has this set, his 1950s, and his digital 1980s posted. I have not run into the early 60s set yet at Rhapsody, but have it on vinyl and cd. I was a bit surprised to see yet another Karajan Beethoven Symphony cycle at Rhapsody and did a search at Amazon to find out what cycle it is.

Karajan did at least 4 complete Beethoven Cycles (50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s) on lp/cd plus one video cycle in the mid 80s that is just outstanding. Some may argue that this is overkill, and many argue about what cycle is best. As far as I know, no one has surpassed Karajan for the most complete cycles title (Jochum comes to mind who I think did three cycles). It is now possible to convert them all to mp3, put them on a single cd or into an mp3 player and do a taste test. Any of these cycles are fun to listen to and they are all well played, conducted, and recorded. The 50s cycle is probably the weakest from a sound/ recording engineer perspective and maybe the 80s is the best (though some do not like the early digital sound). I personally like the early 60s best plus I greatly enjoy the DVDs. I bought them from China through Ebay for about $30 including s/h.

The big difference for Karajan 80s vs 70s is that in the 80s he had health issues prior to his passing and he also started to get very elderly (born in 1908). I have viewed his DVDs of Tchiakovsky (sym. 4, 5, 6) and Dvorak (8, 9) and his Beethoven 9. He seems to be more vigorious on the Beethoven set, followed by the Tchaikovsky, and then the Dvorak. He seemed to me to be a little out of it on the Dvorak 9th and that symphony seemed to drag. I love his Tchiakovsky set from the 70s and the 80s video is almost as good. I read that Karajan had over 800 recordings!

Bring me the desert island, please........2005-12-17

I've always been an admirer of Karajan's Beethoven. I pretty much cut my Beethoven teeth on the much lauded (by me, too) sixties set. In many peoples' minds I suppose it will never be surpassed.

However, in nearly every respect, this mid-seventies undertaking is a better set. I have, as have others, quibbles with certain decisions Karajan makes. For example, he seems to have no problem occasionally ignoring Beethoven's calls for repeats, while at other times he observes them scrupulously. It seems to me that if Beethoven says to do it, then you should do it. Karajan, apparently, doesn't agree.

One could quickly lapse into a minutiae-induced stupor over details. However, a couple will suffice: This is, without doubt, Karajan's best recorded Sixth. That said, it must be admitted his overall concept of this symphony has always been, for some, a weak link. I agree. Simply, there are probably better Sixth's in the catalog, although none could possibly be better played, interpretation not withstanding. Also, this Fifth is to be preferred over the earlier version, ignored repeats and all. The Ninth, arguably the crown jewel of the earlier set, is remarkable here. The soloists are all admirable, even if they aren't Janowitz, Ludwig, et al.

All-in-all, a magnificent undertaking, beautifully realized on CD.

Finally, as most know, Karajan undertook the complete symphonies one last time, near the end of his career (and life) in the early eighties. They are great. The sound is generally great (although not really better in any demonstrable way than here). But Karajan and his Berlin orchestra were having legal, personal and personnel problems which would finally force the Maestro to leave Berlin all together for his final few recordings. At this stage, probably the less said about the utterly disgraceful treatment the ailing Maestro was subjected to, the better. However, that final recorded cycle suffers, I think, from these problems. There are, at times, a certain sloppiness to the procedings Karajan would never have tolerated earlier in his life.

Happily, we have cycle two, in glorious mid-seventies Berlin sound, as a living testament of Karajan's superlative Beethoven.

Karajan's best Beethoven cycle for combination of performance and sound.......2005-10-09

This cycle of Beethoven symphonies, recorded 1975-77 is Herbert von Karajan's strongest. It is also the best of his Beethovens for both performances and sound. Symphonies 5 and 6 are the best here of any others Karajan did, as are Symphonies 1, 2, 3 and 9.

Much of "the best" depends on personal preferences, but I prefer these to the last cycle, recorded 1982-84 for DG. The 1961-2 cycle (DG) is also very fine.

I won't go into details in the interest of keeping this review concise. But Karajan takes slightly slower tempos in Symphony 5: I and Sym. 6: I, II, making a better case for each work.

The sound is rather low level, and you may have to crank up your volume a bit + add some extra bass, as Deutsche Grammophon often shorts the bass a bit in some of their recordings. But the sound is clean, and overall very fine.

Read my reviews of Karajan's first DG cycle, also with the Berlin Philharmonic, for other details. This cycle is recommended, and highly thought of by many critics.

under the surface.......2003-09-18

This truly is an amazing set!
For me this set beats his famous 1963 recordings.
It seems that many people take it for a fact that most of his 1970 recordings lack power, passion and meaning without ever hearing those performances.

Yes you have that recognizable Karajan sound allover, but how this sound interacts with a certain composer or work you'll only find out by listening to it.
For example: I like the "kitschy" singing violins in this Beethovenset very much, it adds mysterie to the score.
The same singing violins (same recorded as well) however I dislike very much in his Bruckner-recordings.
Weird, because string-vibrato in general suits Bruckner's music better than Beethoven's.
But to me those strings rob Bruckner's music of its mystery and mystique.

As said, the main reason why people underrate this set and most of his '70 recordings is because of their general perception of Karajan's sound.
That Karajan sound isn't just the orchestral playing, but also the sound of the recordings and I agree that this sound can add too much "Karajan" to a musical work and can rob the music's identity
The Karajan soup, constantly flavoured by the same ingredients.
One particular flavour is the artificial sounding concert hall acoustic and it is this acoustic in partnership with those singing violins that might give some music that peculiar 1970 romantics feel: candlelight dinners, on the beach at the right time: when the sun is going down etc.

But it's not honest to judge all his music on these unlikable (or likable if you will) features
Under that polished surface of the recordings there is real passion, energy and drive and the playing isn't that polished at all.
Listen to the lower strings, they rub intensly and the brass isn't underplayed all the time, rather under-mixed.
I am probably the only person who rate these performances higher than his 1963 recordings, there I do not find the same energy, passion and speed.

Yes, the tempi are faster and I like them that way.
Of this set I particuarly like the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th symphony.
The first two symphonies are given a too massive performance, in these works only a period intsrument ensemble can do a fine job or the orchestra must be smaller.

His 9th is let down by a too slow and not very rhythmical defined 1st movement. The rest, especially the adagio is superb.
The adagios in general I like better played by a traditional orchestra instead of a period ensemble.

His 3rd is superb.
Great speed in the first movement and the orchestra is playing their socks of, what power, drive and passion!
Same with the 7th.
Yes the brass could be better profiled and articulated, but the overall stormy performance generously makes up for these minor complaints.

His 6th is still the best I ever heard, to my ears this work is the most romantic in atmosphere and therefore everything matches even that "kitschy" recording.
And that's actually pretty funny because Karajan didn't care much for this symphony.

All these performances are not that cold and polished as the recordings might suggest.
In comparison with Gardiner I noticed that Gardiner's performance is much more controlled, polished and somewhat more polite than Karajan.
I recommend this set without hesitation, for me these performances are still up with the best.
Judge for yourself.

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