Classical music reviews

I think the highlight of this disc is the #5 (op.10/1) sonata. Kovacevich is really in his element in the first movement, which is full of tension, drama and nervous energy, and in light of which the interpretation of the rest of the sonata falls into place. The performance #6 is a likeable performance of a very likeable minor sonata, though as often with the earlier sonatas I think I prefer Kempff. I won't comment on #7, because for some reason I'm not very fond of the piece.

I have mixed feelings about Kovacevich's Pastorale. The notes point out that the name "Pastorale" was given to the sonata by Beethoven's publisher, not by Beethoven himself. Kovacevich's interpretation sometimes sounds as though he is out to prove the publisher wrong, with (e.g.) cadences that sound oddly vehement in the first movement and an emphasis on the "modern" sound of the harmonies of the coda (I think) in the last movement. The problem for me is that there are very successful decidedly pastoral readings of the sonata out there (I think it's one of the best things in Kempff's complete set, for instance), and I'm not sure Kovacevich's reading adds up to a convincing alternative conception, if in fact that's what he's trying to do.

This might be contrasted to his recording of the Waldstein or Schubert D. 959, where he emphasizes the tensions and overall the darker side of these pieces, with oustanding results in my opinion.

Kovacevich plays with remarkable clarity and control throughout this exemplary recording. His style is completely free from affectation, yet always intense, characterful and energetic. The "Pastoral" Sonata in particular has a sublime richness that lingers in the memory. In fact I can't think of any other pianist who combines technical accuracy and interpretive insight in any of these works as convincingly as Kovacevich does. In my humble opinion, a must buy.

If you have 12 versions of these sonatas, you should still buy this one. I do not know of a better interpretation. Sound is as good as the performance.

For those looking for the "Last Word" in solo piano repertoire: LvB's final half-dozen sonatas on his favorite instrument, recorded by British pianist Solomon (nee Cutner) between 1951-1956, just before his own career-ending stroke. To those who think Sviatoslav Richter's "TEMPEST" and Rudolf Serkin's "MOONLIGHT" and "PATHETIQUE" are definitive: so too are these. With only minor sound issues (a small edit blip towards the end of Sonata No.31 and Mono sound in general) these performances transfix more than all the others (Brendel, Kempff, Pollini, Hess) I have experienced. Listen to No.32 and... The End.

I agree with the other reviewers that this set of Beethoven's late piano sonatas is extraordinarily good. And while the performance of the "Hammerklavier" is extremely good (every review I've ever read praises it to the skies), I just can't help quibbling with the tempo of the first movement. Beethoven's metronome marking is for an extremely fast tempo (in cut-time, one-half note = 138), and like almost all pianists, Solomon plays it too slowly. But he plays it faster than many. And his performance of the surpassingly beautiful slow movement is quite moving indeed.

The performances I like best on this set, however, are the lyrical sonatas: Opus 90, Opus 109, and Opus 110. I wouldn't be without them, and sometimes they are almost daily fare. This is late Beethoven at its best. Get this set. You can't go wrong. Incidentally, the late English pianist and accompanist, Gerald Moore, always used to praise Solomon lavishly. After listening to these recordings, you will understand why.

If your looking for a "Hammerklavier" to add to your library, you can't go wrong with this one. This release won Gramophone Magazine's award for remastering of historical material and justly so. I've listened to this one again and again over the past few years and I never grow tired of it. An excellent buy.

I was pleasantly surprised to read the other reviews in which the listeners unanimously praised Kovacevich's performance of the great Sonata No. 32, Op.111, especially the Arietta. No one can express in words the profound, mystical beauty of this movement. Previously, my favorite performance was by Kempff, but the sound quality of this 60's recording leaves a lot to be desired now. I feel that I've been waiting impatiently for 40 years for someone to record this sublime masterpiece with contemporary recording technology in a way that does it justice as perhaps the most mind-boggling piece of piano music ever written. I'd like to add that every recording by Kovacevich of this nearly-complete collection of the 32 Sonatas has been extremely beautiful. (I think there are six left to go, including Les Adieux.) If you want to own a complete set of the Beethoven Sonatas, this is the one to buy.

This is a wonderful and exciting performance of three of the greatest works in the piano repertoire. I have never heard the beautiful Arietta, last movement of Beethoven's last piano sonata op. 111, played in such a precise -every note can be heard- yet highly expressive way. One of the best records in my collection.

This is one of the finest Late Beethoven performances I've heard. Of more than ten recordings of Op. 111, (including renditions by Schnabel, Horszowski, Serkin, Kempff, Backhaus, Arrau, Badura-Skoda, Michaelangeli), the Kovacevich is
my clear favorite. The first movement is solid, granitic, powerful, sonorous, and the technical demands are well met. The Arietta is the real jewel on this disk, however. Overall, this interpretation exceeds even the wonderful 1940's Schnabel recording that was released in Phillips Great Pianists series. It's near-impossible to describe this music, so I won't try. But this is a great way to hear it.

The other sonatas on this disk also are wonderfully performed. The first mov't of Op. 101 is an especially lyrical, sensitive, well-balanced interpretation. But I still enjoy Serkin's more granitic approach, and Kempff's sparkling performance of Op. 101 as well.

The original treatment given by Richter to the "Pathetique" is worthy to remark. It is absolutely interesting. The opening bars sound marked Beethovenian but in Russian mood; dry and authoritative; that is a good signal because must never sound romantic, but rough. The harmonies must be dissonant. The Adagio is noble and sublime but the last movement is a pleasant surprise: Richter, before the coda makes a fabulous retard, that brief decrease of intensity prepares us for the following arpeggios with magnificent results.
The 8 Bagatelles know best interpreters: I dislike this approach. The tempos are too fast and inexpressive. I rather choose Glenn Gould or Wilhelm Kempff, just to name two Greats.
Through the years I have realized that "Appassionata" Sonata is measure by measure the most complete and heroic piano work ever written in the keyboard' s history. This Op. 57 gives us a very close idea about the player 's temperament and personality of the performer. Richter makes a superb reading about it, and in my personal ist of the great performances about this piece, I would name just five: The First choice is the legendary and unexplainable not released yet on CD of Paul Badura Skoda in 1978 in vinyl, recording that fortunately I converted digitally; this work maintains its own feature that seems to be improving through the years. The second choice goes for a superb version of Rudolf Serkin in a live recording (available in CD) Lugano 1957; my third choice would incline by a recital given in a Castle room by Daniel Barenboim in 1984; fierceness and wildness. My fourth pronouncement goes to this version and the Fifth is William Murdoch a not so well known Australian pianist in the late twenties (available in CD).
The Fantasy is terrific. Richter was inflamed by a Dionysian rage and this work needs it. Far from being a contemplative work; this work deserves to be played with more frequency by the most of pianists. Emotive, expressive, energetic and mercurial.
A glorious choice in case you decide to acquire it as I did it in 1995.

I must say that in my opinion Sviatoslav Richter is the finest interpreter of Beethoven this century. This disc is a perfect example with which to support my case. It couples two of Beethoven's greatest piano sonatas, the Pathetique and Appassionata, with some charming bagatelles, and the underrated Choral Fantasy. The Pathetique is a studio version from the 50s in mono sound (if you need a reference the whole disc is mono but sounds slightly clearer than Gould's famous 1955 Goldberg Variations), and it is simply the best performance of this famous sonata that I've ever heard. Unlike so many other pianists, Richter actually plays the first movement at a correct tempo, with it's slow opening turning into a rather fast burst of pianistic energy. Too often you hear a recording of this sonata that starts of Grave and moves to an allegretto. Thankfully, Richter actually plays the movement allegro as specified. The famous second movemtent is without a doubt the most perfect and moving I've ever heard. The rondo is also simply amazing. Richter has the incredible ability to play a rondo as light, yet emotional music at the same time. It seems like a paradox, but this amazing one of a kind pianist is able to pull it off. The Appassionata is hands down the best piano performance available on disk. It's a live recording and showcases Richter in his prime. It's simply the most emotionally stirring piano performance I've ever heard. Words fail to describe the power that Richter conjures from Beethoven's keyboard masterpiece. It's is a must hear. The fillers are the bagatelles and the choral fantasy, and even though they may just be there to fill the rest of the disk, they are quite simply stunning. The bagatelles, small dance works that were greatly popularized by Beethoven, come off sounding like the masterpieces they are. Too often they're thrown off as light music, perhaps given to a piano student as a learning tool. Basically they're not taken as seriously as they should. Luckily, Richter believed them to be miniature masterpieces, and it shows in his playing. The Choral Fantasy is in russian, translated from the original german, and may sound odd if you've heard other versions, but sanderling and his orchestra and chorus along with Richter's amazing talents make another one of Beethoven's neglected masterpieces shine as bright as it should. This disc is full of absolutely amazing performances and at an incredible price. It showcases Richter's amazing talent, and supports the belief of many, including myself, that he is THE Beethoven interpreter. Even though the sound is mono, the quality is still relatively good. Excellent performances and better than average mono sound at a bargain price make this CD an essential.

This is a fantastic CD for lovers of Beethoven's piano works and Richter both. In particular, Richter's version of the "appassionata" is without parallel in fiery virtuosity. He approaches many of these pieces in a much different way than many modern performers. This is not a CD to play in the background, this is a CD that commands your full attention, both intellectually and emotionally.

These performances are warm and powerfully projected, muscularly shaped and full of intelligent affection. The Budapesters take their time with the music, allowing the phrases to enjoy all the space they require. The 1951-1952 recordings are rich and full and quite "present", though the balance emphasizes the first violin a bit at the expense of the inner voices, and there are times (in the First Quartet, for example) when one hears more detailed instrument pairings in the old Busch recording, from the 1930s, than in these releases. Nevertheless, magnificent and authoritative performances very well transferred. I recommend this set quite highly.

The Budapest String Quartet is an outstanding ensemble that began in 1917 and played together, with some variation in personnel for the next 50 years. IT is one of the greatest string quartets on record. Musicians on this 1951 album include Joseph Roisman, first violin, 1932-1967; Jac Gorodetzky, second violin, 1932-1933 and 1940-something to 1955; Boris Kroyt, viola, 1936-1967; and Mischa Schneider, cello, 1930-1967. Not only are the musicians impeccable, but, since moving to the United States in 1938, the quartet had access to four Stradivari. Despite the age of this recording (1956), the recording quality is excellent.

The music itself, written between 1798 and 1800, is not as well known as some of Beethoven's other work, but it is absolutely beautiful. The first disk's 3 quartets feature bright, spirited playing, with added depth on Quartet 3 in D Major of side 1. Quartet 4 has a more somber and dramatic mood, more like the Beethoven works to which one may be more accustomed. No. 5 in A Major returns to the spirited, dancelike composition of the first 3 quartets. The mood is so infectious and rhythmic that one can almost hear the rustling of dancers' clothing. The final quartet, No. 6 in B-flat Major, returns some of the more weighty motifs. Throughout, the musicians demonstrate tremendous virtuosity and great empathy in the dynamics and pacing. This is truly exciting music, played by a masterful quartet.

As a teen I happened upon this recording as an LP record while looking for something at the library. I was a student violinist and fell in love with the expressiveness and skill of the Budepesters. I went through many teenage passions to this music. Now over two decades later I find this recording to be one of the best finds in classical music. The Budapesters play more with poetic inspiration than mathematical calculation giving the music a performance that does justice to the genius that is Beethoven. I would recommend this recording to both new initiates to classical music and connoisseurs alike. It is a must have for any serious collector of good music, and can be considered to be among the most beautiful of all musical performances.

This recording is part of Norrington's Beethoven Symphony cycle, recorded with his own
period instruments orchestra , the London Classical Players. This is one of the best of the cycle.
As we know, he goes back to basics, looks at Beethoven with "18th century glasses" to use his expression. He strictly observes Beethoven's original metronome markings, so often ignored by more romantic interpretations. He sheds all trappings handed down by Wagner and his contemporaries and we are left with pure Beethoven. None of us should be sorry..
Norrington's speeds are faster than those we are accustomed to, but he handles the orchestra with great sensitivity and bravura. He spotlights details we previously may have missed before and the outcome is exciting and "exhilarating" (Penguin Guide). The orchestra sound is distinctively fresh.
The introduction to the first movement of the Second is a joy to listen to with its sforzatos and sudden pianissimos and its skillful lead into the Allegro. The whole movement moves with great swagger. The Larghetto moves comfortably, not too slow and thereby doesn't drag, since this is an unusually long movement. The finale is also as one would expect, played with great virtuosity , joy and real sense of humour specially at the final pages.(Coda)
The little F-major symphony, the Eighth, is the more difficult of the two to bring off, but Sir Roger has great success with it. A work of extraordinary charm, it relies a great deal on precision, well controlled speeds, carefully controlled balances, translucent textures and lighthearted spirit. The second movement with its metronome imitation, poking fun at other composers, show Beethoven at his most jovial mood.
The wonderful third movement Trio with the winds supported by the cellos and double bases is always a highlight for me. Karajan did it beautifully, but this is also quite excellent.
The finale is breathtaking, as fast as it could be, but the melodies are still shaped beautifully. A great performance.
Unfortunately, I cannot say this about the Egmont Overture which is taken so fast right from the beginning, that all sense of drama is lost. Note: This performance is a full 3 minutes shorter than normal (6minutes as opposed to 9). Perhaps Norrington's approach doesn't work here, sorry to say. The Coriolan overture is much better, however.
All in all, a very good disc by Virgin Classics. Highly recommended. Sound is excellent.

It seems that there are two possible approaches to interpreting Beethoven: either you come to his works as one who is 'in the know', i. e. as someone coming back to Beethoven in full consciousness of the development of music up to Mahler and beyond and using the musical means available today; or you come to Beethoven as a 'researcher', i. e. approaching him from the past (the 18th century) and using the musical means available to Beethoven and his contemporaries, and expecting to discover through a meticulous study of the music in its written form exactly how and why Beethoven was such an innovator, in a word: a genius. The first approach (and I do not wish to question its validity) is used by many, if not most of the traditional Beethoven interpreters. The second approach in perhaps its most radical form is taken by Sir Roger Norrington in his recordings with the London Classical Players.

In comparison with, for Symphony No. 2, Sir Georg Solti, the differences are quite amazing. The loud, metallic sound of modern instruments is replaced by the softer, more delicate period sound (although I should add that Norrington's brass can, on occasion, do Beethoven proud), the gut strings are quieter and, in my opinion, more pleasant to the ear, and the woodwind (in particular the flutes) actually sound wooden! Norrington also restores the historical seating order in the orchestra, having the second violins sit on the right so that their interaction with the first violins becomes patently obvious thanks to the stereo effect. And Norrington follows Beethoven's (or his pupils') metronome markings, thus achieving much faster tempi: For the Larghetto of Symphony No. 2 Norrington needs more than three minutes less than Solti! To my mind this gives Beethoven's music a freshness, a polish and a dance-like feeling that Solti, for all his eminent musicality, never quite achieves. On the Solti recording, one has the feeling that Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Mahler are always lurking somewhere in the background; Norrington, on the other hand, offers constant reminders that Beethoven 'received Mozart's spirit from the hands of Haydn', whereby it becomes plain exactly why Beethoven was the innovative genius that history has declared him to be.

Personally, I find Norrington's approach both intellectually and aesthetically satisfying. His interpretation of the Eighth Symphony (the 'short' one, sometimes apostrophized as a 'hymn to humour') is equally fascinating with some wonderful effects in the Allegro scherzando and the Tempo di menuetto. The recording bears listening to any number of times, especially as it is, from an engineering standpoint, above all criticism, revealing detail after detail without ever sacrificing the whole to its parts.

Only the two overtures, 'Coriolan' and 'Egmont', here added as 'encores', seem a little weak in contrast. They are, indeed, well done, but Harnoncourt's 'Coriolan' (with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on modern instruments but in historical performance) seems to me more direct and manly, while I have never heard anything to match Christopher Hogwood's interpretation of 'Egmont' (with the Academy of Ancient Music on Decca).

This was one of the first period instrument recordings I purchased. I couldn't believe that listening to Beethoven (or classical music) could be this exhilarating. The last movement of the Second Symphony is particularly pulse-quickening. Performances on Modern instruments can sound plodding and dense, but these period instruments (or copies) have a clarity that allows the faster tempos Beethoven specified for these works.

Mr. Norrington does not impose his "vision" on Beethoven; he allows Beethoven to speak for himself, to extraordinary effect. This performance is warmly expressive without excessive romanticism. The sound quality of the CD can best be described as warm and reverberant, but not cloudy. The strings have a "weight" that is sometimes missing in period performances.

Monteux does a wonderful job with these symphonies. The 5th and 7th are fantastic. While I do take issue with some of Monteux's tempi, I can see where he got them, and they don't detract from my enjoyment of these works one bit. While not sticking perfectly to Beethoven's tempi, Monteux definitely captures the spirit of the works. The contrast between the first and second movements of the 5th is absolutely wonderful. On very few recordings does the second movement of the 5th seem like it belongs to the same symphony, but Monteux beautifully captures Beethoven's contrast. And then there's the 7th. It has this joyous, rollicking feel that truly captures the emotions of Beethoven's score. Again, a rarity. Overall, I'd say these recordings are a MUST for anyone who appreciates these pieces of music.

Pierre Monteux recorded the complete Beethoven symphonies at the end of his long life. Symphonies #s 1, 3, 6 and 8 were recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic, of which he was a frequent guest conductor, and #s 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9 with the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he was the permanent conductor at the time of these recordings (between 1961 and his death in 1964). From my own listening, Monteux did better with orchestras of which he was permanent conductor (San Francisco Symphony and London Symphony), or with which he had long-standing associations (Boston Symphony), than with those where he guest-conducted. The SFSO and LSO in particular reflected Monteux' orchestral values and sonorities: clear, clean and lean string textures; light, clear and colorful woodwinds; and powerful, raspy brass. Monteux applied these sounds, and his intelligent understanding of the structure of each score, to his Beethoven performances with great results. These are not Teutonic Beethoven performances, but they are great ones. Symphony #2 fares the least well, mostly due to the relatively poor sound which hides woodwind details. #4 is a delight from beginning to end, strong and light and full of joy. And #s 5 and 7 are both supurb. #5 has great forward momentum and fire, and #7 has a genuine dance-like quality which I have found unusual in most performances. Both are heroic performances, fleet and light and with great strength and lyricism. In Beethoven, an understanding of musical structure and architecture is very important (to me, probably the most essential element for a truly conherent and persuasive performance), and I tend to favor those conductors who really understand this and communicate it (Monteux, Klemperer), and to avoid those who don't (Solti). Monteux's Beethoven can easily be a "standard" set, one to which you will return time and again. Nothing is overstated, sentimentality is rigorously avoided, and each score is given an honest, clear, committed, understanding and emotionally complete performance. Symphony #9, which was recorded for a different company (Westminster), is available separately and is also well worth getting. I have owned copies of these performances since they first came out on RCA's Victrola vinyl records in the early 1960's and I can attest that they stand the test of time and rehearing. Highly recommended.

These intelligent and compelling interpretations make me forget about the tape hiss and somewhat overly pronounced stereo separation of these 1950s recordings. Monteux was one of the very finest conductors of the twentieth century, and in these recordings he proves it. A genuine bargain.

As other reviewers have noted, this was one of the first recordings Christoph von Dohn�nyi made with the Cleveland Orchestra, and twenty years later it's still one of the very best. The key word for this performance is "momentum." From the very beginning chords of the symphony (which, as classicstoday.com critic Victor Carr correctly noted, sound like rifle shots) right through to the final, triumphant burst of sound, the symphony sets an athletic pace that never lets up: the multiple hemiolas in the first movement don't slow down the action at all, the scherzo is honed to a razor's edge, and rarely has the funeral march sounded so martial. Under Dohn�nyi's watchful eye, this is a performance chock-full of subtle nuances and shadings that slip by many other conductors in their efforts to be overly bombastic and/or to create the "one definitive interpretation" of this work. Ultimately, it does fall a little short of the level of interpretation George Szell displayed in his Eroica, but the tradeoff here is a Cleveland Orchestra that's even more polished and precise than they were on their earlier foray - and, of course, that glorious, expansive Telarc sound. The brass are a little overbearing at points compared to the rest of the orchestra, but it's hardly noticeable when this recording is played loudly - as it should be. Overall, this recording of this grandiose masterwork explodes with a vitality, power and clarity that I haven't found anywhere else. Other Eroicas may inflect certain spots of the music a little better, but taken as a whole, this recording is several leagues ahead of most of its competitors. It's been my favorite from the moment I heard it, and I doubt that will ever change.

Beethoven's Eroica is simply one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and this performance is simply the best I've ever heard, hands down. The pacing is just perfect, the first movement simply soars. And best of all, he takes the repeat of the exposition in the first movement, which I have found difficult to find in recordings of this piece. There is absolutely *nothing* in this performance I would want to change, and it has become the standard by which I judge all others.

This was the very first of Dohnanyi's recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra, made within months of his designation as Music Director in the early 1980s. A vivid, rollicking Eroica, with the Clevelanders' famed precision and Telarc's usual expansive sound. Among the best, by every standard.

The best performance of the most towering creation in all of music!

I own the original LP set of the 9 Symphonies of Beethoven issued by Reader's Digest and printed by the Customs Dept of RCA Victor (1961). This set of recordings done by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rene Leibowitz is the one of the best performances of the Beethoven. The transfer of the 9th to CD from the master tapes is extreme. One must check it out to compare.

The great, often underrated or unknown, Rene Leibowitz leads perhaps the most compelling performance of Beethoven's great 9th symphony I have ever heard. His approach is direct, no nonsense, "in your face" if you will. There is a soulistic exileration that is really beyond all words or praise. The first movement is brisk but still has the all the subtleties and power this movement commmands. The middle movement climax is stunning in it's authority and grandur. The second movement has all the timpani/roll-kicking action one could ask for. The added horns are thrilling, and there are trumpet "snaps" that initiate the retransition in the trio that would startle no matter how well one is familiar with this movement. The third movement, while briskly taken, has a rich and beautiful emotional tone to it that is stunningly heart warming for the fast tempo or any tempo for that matter. Leibowitz is the only one I have heard who successfully pulls off a "brisk-slow movement." The fourh movement begins with blazing speed, trumpets blaring as if a war march of troops are threatning to destroy the symphony and mankind's triumph. The previous movement themes are impatiently discarded, and the ode to joy melody begins brisky. When the violins enter, the Royal PHil has the most beautifut tone, and when the theme is taken by the full orchestra the trumpets are breathtaking in their majesty. The bass soloist is often criticized because he doesn't give a huge "blast" of sound that most seem to employ, but his German warmth of tone an attitude is unequalled. The female soloists are both beautiful and sing warmly and thrillingly throughout. The Beecham Choral Society matches the Royal Phil at every turn, singing with stunning clarity. Richard Lewis's "Froh, Froh" solo is absolutely for the ages. The way Leibowitz gets him to sing those words is one of the most stunningly sensational things I have ever heard. Every ounce of Lewis's heart and soul is in that passage. This simply has to be heard to be believed. Total exileration and then some! One of the most magnificant vocal passages on all records. The rest of the movement has tremendous drive, horns rising above the orchestra in thrilling fashion. The final prestissimo has an unbelievable amount of energy and ferocity, but always superbly controlled by Leibowitz. The trumpets that sweep away the finale are thrilling beyond belief. Heard live this performance would send the audience staggering from the hall. MAGNIFICANT!

Zubin Mehta has squandered golden opportunities to record a complete Beethoven cycle with any orchestra from L.A. to Tel Aviv, New York to Berlin. Over four decades he's made only a handful of Beethoven symphony recordings, preferring to concentrate instead on being the accompanist for various pianists and violinists in the Beethoven concertos--odd.

This proficient Ninth Sym. from 1983 comes off as a very good night at Avery Fisher Hall. Mehta remains insistently middle-of-the-road. He sets moderate tempos and keeps to them, and his preferred volume level is a steady mezzo-forte except in climaxes. I wish he wouldn't goose-step through several of the big choral entries in the finale, but it adds to the visceral excitement he obviously wanted there.

Mehta's not one for nuance, yet as I listened I found myself appreciating his sensible ways. He's helped by the New York Phil. in good form--not great, as some reviewers claim. The professional Choral Artists in the finale are excellent, and a quarter of big-name soloists delivers. Vickers and Horne both shout, but Mehta is enouccraging larger-than-life singing from everyone, so they don't stand out too badly. One searches for any personal ideas about the Ninth, any mystery or tears. They aren't to be found, but as a solid professional performance, this mid-price RCA relwase is satisfying.

I was surprised when I read some of the other reviews stating that this was the ninth to own. I always thought it was a good recording, but not the best. Indeed, RCA did not think highly enough of it to put in on either gold or red label; rather, its on the silver label, RCA's more budget line.

What we have here is a very solid reading of the symphony. The New York Philharmonic is in good form playing convincingly. Climaxes are strong, softer passages delicate, good balance, etc. The orchestral sound is, however, somewhat muddy and not transparent. Furthermore, this live recording has the orchestra sounding far away and distant. One of my biggest complaints about the sound of this recording is in the choral finale. The soloists are all strong, but Miss Horne is a bit too loud and a tad out of control in some passages. The chorus is good, but not outstanding - they also sound muffled and distanced from the recording equipment. However, all in all, this is a strong reading of the symphony. Mehta treats this work as a classical, not romantic symphony, and thus, tempos remain constant, and the work as a whole is convincingly played. Still, there are better versions of this symphony out there. This is a good buy, but there are better.

Alright, so I bought this recording only because I was overjoyed to discover that the soloists in the Ode to Joy finale include bass Mati Salminen, mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne, soprano Margaret Price and tenor Jon Vickers, all of these outstanding operatic singers I have enjoyed on record. These singers are doing a fine job with the Finale, despite what has already been said about their rolling R's and sloppy diction and the fact that Marilyn Horne refused to be outdone by the soprano and sings fortissimo. The conducting by Zubin Mehta is excellent. This symphony is more along the lines of a last classical great and Mehta does not pull all the stops that Karajan, Bernstein or even Solti did with their interpretations. Mehta is a very soulful and passionate conductor whose focus was to remain as true to the composer's original concept as possible. The music is clean, consistent and bright.

The only tragedy of this recording is that the recording sound is not good. The bad acoustics in the concert hall may be to blame. The sound is distant and faint, and there is no crisp freshness to it at all. However, I remain hopeful that this recording may be reissued and digitally remastered. As it stands now, it is the cheapest budget-wise and so remains in the Silver label of the RCA company and not the Red Seal which is the top. So for one thing you still get the same great Ninth- a thunderous and climatic beginning, a thrilling scherzo, an achingly heartbreaking and divine slow movement "adagio cantabile" which seems to me like a floating soul in space, and the powerful finale in which Beethoven seem to say that humanity has hope after all- you also get a recording that is not superior in quality. Really, the only reasons you should get this recording is if you are 1: a fan of conductor Zubin Mehta and collect all his records or 2: if youre a fan of the singers tenor Jon Vickers and his Wagnerian type voice, Marilyn Horne and her powerful mezzo di voce, Margaret Price and her gleaming soprano voice or the deep bass of Marti Salminen.

STICK TO THESE RECORDINGS FOR THE BEST NINTHS: GEORGE SOLTI's 1972 Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording, HERBERT VON KARAJAN's 1975 Berlin Philharmonic recording or his later 80's one, Leonard Bernstein's 1989 Berlin Wall concert, or Furtwangler's 1951 Bayreuth re-opening concert found on the Legendary Recordings.