Classical Symphonies 1770-1830 music reviews

Bruno Walter (1876-1962) has the reputation in our current generation of being a disciple/protege of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), while he was one of several great conductors who were Mahler's students, including Otto Klemperer and Oscar Fried. Walter never completed an entire Mahler Symphony cycle during his career. But there is an earlier MONO recording of Symphony 1 with the New York Philharmonic (Sony CD), a 1947 recording of Symphony 4 (New York, Sony CD) and Symphony 5 (New York, Sony CD, MONO), a stereo Symphony 9 (Columbia Symphony, Los Angeles, Sony - 2 CDs), and a famous live 1938 Symphony 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic made just days before the "Anschlass" uniting Germany and Austria under the Nazi government in Berlin
(EMI, Naxos, and other budget labels). (Bruno Walter then fled from Vienna, first for Paris, then in 1940, New York and did not return to Europe until after World War II, a wise decision given his Jewish lineage.)

In this recording, Walter's Mahler 1 benefits from better sound, and fine playing from the Columbia Symphony. But it is quite mellow: climaxes are not built up as in some recordings, and there is a laid back aura about the whole performance. Some may find it refreshing, and I find it acceptable, but when in a mood to be moved or shaken by something, this doesn't cut it.

Symphony 2 is also fine, but doesn't have the powerful climaxes many conductors bring to Mahler. Some exciting moments are more beautiful and loving than exciting or gut wrenching. Here the sound is more tinny, and not as natural as in Symphony 1. I read the recordings sessions for Walter's Mahler 2 were interrupted when Walter took sick with a near fatal heart attack and there was a large gap in time before the recording could be completed: it was done in several sessions in 1957 and 1958.

Still, Walter's Mahler is worth hearing, and is important as Walter knew the composer personally. I love Bruno Walter's recordings, and would recommend (more highly than this) his Beethoven Symphonies (except 9); Mozart Symphonies 35, 36, 38-41 (either New York Philharmonic MONO or California Columbia Symphony STEREO recordings: the New Yorks are faster tempos in most movements); Brahms Symphonies with the Columbia Symphony; and Schubert Symphonies 5, 8, and 9, all available in the "Bruno Walter Edition" from Sony Classical.

For Mahler 1, I like Muti/Philadelphia (EMI) and for Mahler 2, Klemperer/Philharmonia (EMI).

These recordings are for two sorts of listeners: those who are just becoming interested in Mahler's music and those who are thoroughly familiar with Mahler's music. The former will have a fine introduction to Mahler's musical world without the sometimes distorting tendencies of conductors competing for attention in a now-crowded interpretive field, the latter will be able to enjoy again the direct, unforced beauty of Walter's conducting. Famously a protege of Mahler's, Walter brought to his recordings the authority of having been present at the creation of the works combined with his sure hand in guiding the musical line and his sense of communicating a transcendent spiritual experience. Straddling the symphonic traditions up to the end of the century and the incipient modernist trends, Mahler's music is so ample in both its scale and inventiveness that it can bear a wide range of interpretive approaches without being pulled utterly out of shape. With Walter the listener gets the music as close as possible to a "no-frills" approach, yet with a radiance that can, if you let it, transport you to an emotional plane that lies beyond words, which the best music does. There are always the many other ways to be guided through Mahler's great musical lands -- the crackling intensity of Mitropoulos, the wrenching emotion of Bernstein, the grandeur of Karajan, the clarity of Boulez -- but Walter gives you the mellow essence of the music, where the tumult and the anguish give way to a hard-won tranquillity and the triumphant moment is tempered with a sense of its transitory nature.

Two beautifully recorded CDs!

The fact that Mahler and Walter were close associates, probably had a significant influence on these recording. I seems that Walter must have obtained some insight as to the "artistic intentions" for these pieces because they have a special quality that many other recordings of these works seem to lack; a subtleness, a quiet self-assurance if you will.

My favorite:...Symphony # 1
I've always been drawn to the "Titan" from the very first time I heard those eerie opening bars years ago. It always reminded me of stepping out into an alien (but not necessarily unfriendly) landscape.

All in all, Mahler as I'm sure Mahler would have intended. Recommended!

Bernstein was only 70 when he made this, his only recording with the Chicago Sym., but he was already debilitated and tired. Given his bad health, it's a wonder that these performances of the Shostakovich First and Seventh Sym. are as vital as they are. From anyone else, I would give the Seventh five stars. It is a galvanzing reading captured in great sound. But Bernstein's first Seventh, made in 1962 with the NY Phil., was a miracle of spontaneous, totally committed music-making. If you want maximum sonic impact, buy this CSO recording instead, but get it in the new bargain box from DG that contains all of Bernstein's later Stravinsky and Shostakovich recordings. The latest remastering is impeccable throughout.

Paying full price for this 2-CD set would hurt less if the Sym. #1 were better. I find it lacking in mood and color; it sounds very well played and nicely detailed but little more. When it was over I felt neutral, whereas the earlier NY Phil. version is quirky and digs in more. Again, the sonics are excellent, far better than before.

Yes, this "Leningrad" does indeed rate five stars, as most, if not all other writers here have given it. Despite some distortion in the louder passages, this recording certainly is a classic document. (I like Bernstein's 1962 recording on Columbia as well, but this simply has more impact.) I must correct one writer who said these performances were done in Medinah Temple in Chicago. They were done in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, the First Symphony recorded without the audience, the Seventh done live. I was privileged to have there. I'll never forget it!!

This is the only recording, as far as I know, Leonard Bernstein did with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a group of players with a very long tradition in the American music and with a great technical playing good enough to play quite all the repertoires.

Like in the case of his Mahler's 9 with Berlin, Bernstein only recording with this orchestra is a miracle that happens once and never more, because of many reasons, the first one because this is a live recording in the Medinah Temple and the emotions felt in this CD could not happen again.

I always thought Chicago is a very appropriate orchestra to play DSCH's music, because of the characteristics of the orchestra and of Shostakovich's music, very hard and very sensitive at the same time. One of the symphonies it's better to this couple DSCH & CSO is the 7th that it's not the most complex between DSCH's works, from the technical and musical point of view, but that demands a great and powerful orchestral response, something you can listen perfectly in this amazing recording, in which CSO gives his best, with a baton that understand very well the score, as far as he can... I think no one could understand completely the meaning of the Leningrad not being in the place of the siege or in the scenario described in the double-program of the symphony, probably linked to the oppression Stalin made with his politics to the pre-communist life of Saint Petersburg. I remember Goethe's words, when he said that reading a book is more complex than reading a book. Of course good Goethe talked about understanding a work, and Lenny, even not living that situation gives us a description of the fears, sadness, oppression, etc, really convincing from the very first bar.

Symphony N�1 is a piece from DSCH's conservatoire years, from 1926, when the composer was only 19 years old and he was suffering a very disturbing economical situation, after his father's death and in the poor CCCP after the Revolution and the Civil War. It's known DSCH had to work in a cinema, under very hard conditions to eat, and that Glazunov took care of having some official assistance for his conservatoire pupil in order to Dimitri gave attention only to composer. The piece is not a great work like symphonies 5, 7, 8, 10, 13... but it shows some details and the personality of the maestro clearly. It was a great success from the same premiere and it made appear Shostakovich as the emergent figure of the new soviet composers, formed in the communist conservatoire... That was what the regime said, because in fact Leningrad conservatoire was mainly what it was before communist regime.

Leonard Bernstein performance of this symphony is a glory from all the points of view, perfectly played and recorded, the piece is fresh, full of tension and emotion, and even that parts not so fine orchestrated shine with real genius. The fourth and final movement is specially outstanding and the way the symphony ends is so good that sometimes I repeat the last minute when it finish. I really don't know any other version played with this very deep conviction on CD.

Seventh Symphony "Leningrad" is OUTSTANDING too, in every movement the orchestral playing and Lenny's conducting is breathtaking. The gigantic crescendo of the first movement is really a monument in the way Lenny control the dynamics perfectly, having an end that is really impossible to repeat, with the scales of the metals and drums full of terror, like watching the face of the death in front of you, in front of the city.

Central movements are wonderfully described too, the dynamics and the control of the tempo is amazing, as we listen in the second movement, a clear example of alternation between fortissimos and pianissimos, as between an atmosphere were everything is like suspended in fears and moments of pain.

The last movement is another Bernstein's `show', because of the way he proclaims the victory of the initial motif, which we could say is not completely affirmed in order to create that two-senses possibilities in the symphony reading. From the very dark beginning of the movement Lenny creates a crescendo that finally leads an explosion in the last bars, outstanding one more time.

The recording is fine, very present, full of body and not so clean like his recordings with Vienna in the 80's (I think about his DSCH's 6 & 9, for example), but it worth very, VERY, very much.

I could not say this is the only possible version, as I read in other reviews. I know about 5 or 6 performances (Rostropovich, Jansons, Haitink, Barshai...), apart from some others life, and of course this is the one I like much more, but not the only possibility, I try to discover always new ways in art, specially in music performances. Jansons' version in EMI is very good too, and we can not forget DSCH music always use to ask for the soviet performances, which are a very different way of understanding the works generally. Kondrashin or Rozhdestvensky shows another ways too.

Nowadays you can buy this 1st and 7th in this double top price CD or in a very interesting 6CDs box which contains Bernstein performances of DSCH's symphonies 6th and 9th with the Wiener Philharmoniker for not to be missed. That 6CDs box offers too his recordings of Stravinsky for DG. I have all of them and I think it worth too, but you remember the best thing in that box are DSCH's performances.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

This confirms what I've always thought about recordings of Mahler's works: without being able to put your finger on the reasons why, you just know when it's 'right'. Like LBs CBS Mahler 1,3,7 and 9, and for instance Barbirolli's Mahler 6, this Mahler Two is most definitely 'right'. Bernstein's later Mahler 2 for DG sounds contrived compared to this earlier CBS recording, which communicates like no other version I've heard. Simon Rattle's famous version sounds studied and earthbound by comparison to this, and to my ears the CBS recording is superior to the EMI one for Rattle, especially in the closing stages of the finale where LB gives a 'preview of the afterlife' that gave me goose-bumps all over. This is not just another performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection', this is a tremendous experience.

Bernstein so closely identified himself with the Mahelr Second that he made three recordings. For a long time two have stood out: the first, from 1963, with the New York Phil. (Sony) and the last, from 1988, from a live concert, also in New York (DG). Sony owns another live concert from 1974 with the London Sym. and the unmatched Janet Baker as soloist in "Urlicht," but it has boomy cathedral sound and is hard to find. Comparing the two major recordings brings out interesting contrasts.

Sony 1963: Bernstein was 45 and freshly arrived at Mahelr when he made this recording. The phrasing in every movemeent has a spontaneous freshness that few have ever duplicated, including Bernstien himself. Nothing is played for rhetorical effect. Tempos are moderate; the orchestra plays beautifully and is captured in spacious sonics at Manhattan Center. The two vocal soloists, mezzo Jennie Tourel and soprano Lee Verona, were Bernstein favorites, but neither is ideal. Tourel sounds mature and doesn't blend well with Verona in the finale; her Urlicht is sincere and moving, however. The professional chorus is excellent but recorded too far back for us to make out the words or for maximum impact.

DG 1988: Twenty-five years later, when Bernstein was 70, he retained the basic shape of his earlier interpretation but slowed it down, by almost 4 min. in the finale, which is quite broad now. Spontaneity has been exchanged for a deeper, more settled view but also some rhetoric. The sound is multi-miked, often close up, and with not as much air around it as for Sony. Also, there is more underlining for emphasis, but not to an extreme. I think the finale suffers from Bernstein's earnestness to make sure it sounds cosmic--yet the stupendous coda does indeed sound cosmic. He uses another aging mezzo, Christa Ludwig, for the Urlicht, which she sings beautifully. It's too bad that LB takes 2 min. longer in this short movement; it sounds funereal. Soprano Barbara Hendricks sounds ideal. The chrosu is also better than on Sony and recorded, like the organ in the finale, with much more impact than before; we canmake out more words thanks to the multi-miking.

As interpretations, I think there is little to choose for the first three movements. After that, Bernstein is more musically fresh in 1963 but captured in more dramatic sonics in 1988. Chorus and soloists are also better in the 1988 set. The later performance ends in wrenching catharsis, and for some lsiteners that will make the difference. Both sets are five-star readings on the highest plane of performance and musicality.

(One thing greatly in favor of the Sony set is the fillers: a moving live performance of the Adagietto from the Mahelr Fifth at the funeral service for Robert F. Kenney in St. Patrick's Cathedral, and a riveting "Veni Creator spiritus" from the Mahler Eighth, a live performance to celebrate the opening of Philharmonic Hall in 1962.)

Many have conceded that among 20th century conductors it was Leonard Bernstein who became the driving force in effectively meeting the challenge of making a convincing statement of Mahler's symphonic music. Others have cited some of the pioneering and insightful mono and stereo performances of Walter and Mitropoulos and those of Scherchen (occasionally considered idiosyncratic by some). In any event, there has been little doubt that Bernstein has almost always brought great intensity to his Mahler interpretations. But his tendency to sometimes engage in drawn out tempos has been, at times, controversial. This is evident particularly in his opening to Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, despite the composer's indication of allegro. Bernstein proceeds with what sounds, at least, like adagio. He later speeds up, then slows down again--perhaps, to listeners, a little exasperating. However, others might feel he is setting the mood for the rest of the first movement and even for the entire symphony. Include me in that company. Indeed, what Bernstein does bring to this magnificent work is passion, and there is little doubt in my mind, based on what I have encountered about Mahler, that this is precisely what the composer sought to convey himself through his compositions and his conducting.

Being familiar with a number of other versions of Mahler 2, I found it particularly interesting to compare Bernstein's account with that of Klemperer (with the Philharmonia Orchestra) who, not untypically, offers a view of considerable strength and stature. Despite these qualities and perhaps a greater sense of overall structural unity, Klemperer cannot quite match the range and depth of feeling wrought by Bernstein, though I admit there are times when Klemperer's characteristic sobriety helps to imbue his interpretation with a more primordial Mahlerian feel. On certain emotional/spiritual grounds however I find Bernstein somewhat more effective. Examples: In the first movement, he expresses some of the composer's phrases with a tenderness that Klemperer only hints at. In the final movement, themes from the previous movements return with more vividness and urgency. Further, in that movement the "fright fanfare", with its opening of the sky, is given a more menacing effect, while the procession of the dead is conveyed with a greater feeling of grandeur. When it comes to singing, mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel clearly displays a wider range of feeling than Hilde Rossl-Majdan in the fourth movement "Ulricht". Lastly, in the sections for chorus and orchestra in the final movement, Bernstein is more apocalyptic. Overall, a most impressive performance. For a bit of a different take, try also Kubelik's very fine offering with the BRSO.

Whlile I really think Szell is great in #40 the really big dissapointment is the slow music in 41 and the performance of the Haffner which lacks the delicacy one comes to expect in this music. I reccommend either Walter or Bernstein in this label or go to the DG version of Karajan to see how much more there is.

Mozart's symphonies, unlike those of Romantic composers don't have taken too deeply when it comes to emotions; what's more important would have to be the technical side of the pieces, and Maestro George Szell is the man for the job, and Symphonies 35, 40, and 41 are no exceptions. His performance is light, confident, and crisp, and at the same time, never overexpressive or demanding(such as Karajan), nor too dull or straightforward. The balance is perfect.

An absolute album at a budget price. Never hesitate to buy it.

They made miracles. Especially, George Szell, who were acknowledged as one of the conductors who have sensitive ears by the recording engineers of DECCA,shall be praised.

Usually, the name of Mozart reminds us of the conductors like Bruno Walter and Christopher Hogwood. But Szell is totally different.

His analysis is more strict than the soft tone of Walter.

His analysis is better arranged than the one of Hogwood.

There shall be nobody who will regret after listening to this CD.

I was looking for the 4th specifically and happy with this recording. Entries are clear and tempos steady. Recommended

This recording is perfect to type to! Most of my day is spent writing psychological reports that require attention, exactness, and concentration. These two Symphonies are great to have on while writing. They are not overpowering in that concentration is lost, but they are stimulating to the process. The clarity of this recording is fantastic, and for music afcianados that is important, especially when one wants to hear the music and not the "background."

Both these recordings of the Beethoven Fourth and Sixth were made in Hollywood in 1958, the same time that Walter was turning in rather slack and unfocused readings of the other symphonies. Here he recovers some of the dash and intensity that marked his 1930s Pastorle with the Vienna Phil. The Columbia Sym. plays with energy and inflection, even though Walter's tempos are on the leisurely side.

As is generally acknowledged, he found magic in every movement of the Pastorale, which will surely stand as the best of the romantic versions of this symphony (far more charming than Bohm's often recommended but unsmiling recording on DG). The Fourth is in the same mode, with more incisiveness than his Eroica, Fifth, or Seventh. But Walter is somewhat less alert here; the result is another mellow performance of good if not superb quality.

Newcomers might suppose, hearing these performances, that the rest of Walter's Beethoven must be of equal stature. It's not, but we can be grateful for this charmed moment in his old age. Look to his Bruckner, Mozart, and Mahler for similar inspiration.

While it was the ninth symphony that became the work the Romantic age wrestled with for decades, it was the third symphony with which Beethoven broke with the past and announced himself a revolutionary. A great deal has been made of it being originally inspired by Napoleon or at least dedicated to him. Whatever the truth is, the name was crossed out and the name of the E-flat third symphony became Eroica (Italian for Heroic)

Written during it 1803 it was first performed for the Prince to whom it was dedicated, Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz who paid for the rights to perform it at his house for several years. When it was first rehearsed, things did not go well because the music seemed so strange and unlikely. The Prussian Prince, Louis Ferdinand, paid a visit to Prince Lobkowitz who had this strange work played for him. The Prussian listened with increasing intensity and asked for an immediate repetition. An hour later he asked for it to be performed for a third time.

Once people caught on to what the music was about it became a huge success and was performed throughout the composer's life, is on programs regularly, and recorded often. However, this recording by George Szell and the Cleveland Symphony is a classic and one many of us grew up listening to over and over again. It is powerful and clear and one you will want to hear many times even if you favor another recording more.

The eighth symphony is a masterpiece whose utter greatness is not fully appreciated by the general public. At its premiere in 1814, it followed the seventh symphony in A major (whose andante so affected the audience they demanded an immediate repetition). Expectations were high for this totally new and unheard eighth, but it did not cause the audience enough excitement after the seventh to demand a repetition. The newspaper review of the concert said the eighth would have been better placed before the seventh on the program. The reviewer also suggested that the eighth should not be paired with the seventh on a single program, but be performed on its own in order to achieve real success. To me, this seems good advice.

Still, this is a work of so many delights and such musical mastery that it deserves more attention than even lovers of Beethoven's symphonies usually accord it. There is humor, effervescence, and musical mastery to spare. The finale is exuberance and good humor personified. This recording by Szell is well balanced and gets at what the music is offering us very well.

Enjoy!

Although there are hundreds of digital recordings of the Beethoven symphonies popping up all over the map, it's refreshing to see that people still look to the older masters for definitive recordings. George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra always, ALWAYS deliver fantastic performances. And they deliver quite a punch in this CD of Beethoven's eroica and 8th symphonies.

The eroica is a difficult to perform well. Its clearly a classical symphony, and must be treated as such. Still, the dramatic energy of the work belies its classical form. Thus, the conductor must balance the classical and romantic aspects of this work. Szell does a superb job handing the eroica. His tempos are swift and energetic. His climaxes are electrifying. His power is absolutely astounding. This is truly one of the best recordings of this symphony.

The eighth, although less emotionally captivating than the eroica, is still wonderfully performed by the orchestra. Szell gives an energetic, fascinating performance.

Although these analog recordings were made half a century ago, they stand up to any digital recording. Highly recommended.

It has been said that Szell's Eroica is in the Toscanini tradition. It certainly comes closer to the famous Toscanini broadcast of 1939 (the consensus seems to be that this is the best of the Toscanini recordings, even more so than his fine 1953 broadcast) than many others. Although Szell may lack a little bit of Toscanini's nervous intensity and abruptness of accent, he shares enough of these qualities to bring out the rhythmic drive and incisiveness of the music. Regarding the matter of accents, my feeling is that the nature of this music, and Beethoven orchestral music in general, requires sharp, forceful accenting. Otherwise the music will fall flat. For example, although Karajan's well known 1963 DG recording with the Berlin Philharmonic employs similar tempi to those of Szell, his consistent rounding off of accents (more appropriate for Bruckner) severely vitiates the music of its native rude force, thereby rendering it rather bland and boring.
On the other hand, this performance, while much more consistent in tempo than someone like Furtwangler, yet retains enough breath and flexibility of phrasing to avoid the metronomic rigidity that afflicts at least some of the original instrument recordings. His performance of the 8th shares the same qualities.
Although the sound, though clear and natural, is arguably a bit limited compared to more modern recordings, the price of this coupling is at the superbudget level (6-7 dollars), which makes it a superbargain for the musical rewards contained therein.

I can see someone admiring these recordings, since they are very well executed and crisply presented, with no major flaws. And I can see why Mozart was considered one of Karl Bohm's best composers if you like his foursquare, unsmiling approach. Apparently many other listeners and reviewers don't demand more than what this bargain set of the last six symphonies delivers.

But Bohm's traditional Teutonic conducting sounds pretty limited to me, not because of the "authentic" movement now in vogue but because great Mozart conducting must be joyous, light on its feet, and full of wit and alertness. Bohm is brisk and efficient instead. Bruno Walter was born even earlier than Bohm, and yet he got all those things right. That's why I return to him again and again, not to this set, much as I love the Berlin Phil.

Precision. That is what comes to my mind when listening to a Karl Bohm interpretation of Mozart. Mozart's final symphonies are ageless masterpieces of music. Anyone can recognize the opening Allegro moto of Symphony No. 40 in G-Minor (one of Mozart's only symphonies in a minor key). Just finding a collection with these wonderful symphonies is a great find.

As to the sound quality, Deutsch Gramophone spent extra time and resources into reissuing these originally analog recordings. It is nice to be able to hear every woodwind in balance and the string sections in their glory. The sound does not seem forced or artificial and the quality is absolutely superb.

These recordings were completed during the height of Bohm's time as a conductor. His interpretations are truly "viennese" in that tempos and structure are very precise and meticulous. Some may think his tempi are slow or plodding, but they offer a very nice interpretation that perhaps was accepted in Mozart's era. The 35th, 39th, and 41st symponies in the set are my favorites.

I would also suggest looking at George Szell's performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, for they offer a different interpretation but are also superb.

Columbia SO recordings (NOT with the New York PO) , which are OOP, this Bohm is the one to have, the only one you need actually. As I've heard at least 6 other major conductors, Klemperer , Mackerraas, both Levine's etc etc.
The only 2 I kept are the Walter ,got mine from a used cd dealer in the UK online :-) and the Bohm, complete sym set, which is the way to go for Mozart fans. There's quite a few very good syms in the 1-34.
All that stuff you read about Bohm being a "kapplemiester" (germanic style/cold), old fashioned, tutonic, is very misleading. I hear nothing of the sort and wish these comments would stop.
Though I was forwarned about Bohm being off track in approach with his german orch, I sense there is some anti-german sentiments in these negative comments about Bohm. None of this criticism leveled against Bohm is factual, only a prejudice in their minds.

As to
Details, tempos, instrument quality, sound quality, orch size all are in perfect harmony with Mozart.
. Bohm and the Berlin show forth a understanding of Mozart that none except Walter can rival.
The Klemper/Philharmonia on TESTAMENT, not the EMI release(which are duds) are not too bad, but not in the same category as either Bohm or Walter.
I sat down one day and compred all 3, and concluded the Klemperer were not necessary , for sound issues and also not on par with Bohm's definitive recording.

EDIT: I should mention that i read on a forum recently, he recalled Bohm from his vinyl set that the performances were 'a bit dull". Bohm does not speed read. Any conductor that takes Mozart too fast is doing a disservice to these richly detailed scores. Mozart requires detailed attention, which is what Bohm brings. Yet the life is there, not dull at all.

Paul Best
Baton Rouge
paulfbest@cox.net
Edit:Allright 7 of 10 have found my comments to be helpful. My best score yet on any of my reviews. Glad I could be of help, save others some $'s on avoiding un-necessary purchases.

This is a great Cd and a great help in planning my wedding music.

I've always enjoyed Great Wedding music and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this site I discovered a group by the name of MEHDl (pronounced medie). After an online search I found their site (S00THINGMUSIC,C0M) and listened to the samples...
I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to these CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a fan of classical music, I find MEHDl to be a great addition to this CD. I had them both in my multi-disc CD player during the wedding and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.

We played this one as the guests arrived. Very classy music. Worked like a charm!!

I know this recent Abbado cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic looks like a tempting proposition, but don't make the mistake of buying this thing! I bought part of it separately and I listened to the rest of the symphonies I didn't buy and I must tell everyone to beware the very poor recording quality that this set offers. You would think that such an expensive set would have great sound, right? Well, you would be severely wrong to think that the imbeciles at Deutsche Grammophon could actually provide a decent digital recording!

The sound as you will instantly notice is recorded at a very low level. It is very distant, like the equivalent of listening to your neighbor play music through their apartment wall and you strain to hear the details. Ok, so it's not that bad, but it is still awful! I turn up the sound really loud and still get a very rounded, small, constricted experience. I know I'm not deaf, I just put on Karajan or Bernstein or Gardiner or damn near anyone and hear the full impact of this music so much more clearly. I recently reviewed Simon Rattle's Vienna Philharmonic Beethoven cycle, ( see my review ), I thought Rattle's cycle was very poorly recorded but Abbado's is significantly worse.

Do not be confused that because the BPO play in a chamber-scaled ensemble for several of the symphonies that the recorded sound should be so low. Gardiner and Harnoncourt play with small orchestras and sound much more powerful.

Ok, so you're saying, the sound is awful, but are the interpretations worth persevering for? Quite simply put, NO!
Claudio Abbado has been studying Beethoven for many years, he recorded the symphonies in the 1980's and since then he's been conserving his energy for something new and radical?! I wish. The only new thing Abbado brings to this cycle is lighter textures, crisper ensemble and faster tempos. That's it, no revelations. The period instrument movement was way ahead of him. The performances are shockingly polite, sedate and boring.

I applaud the Berlin Philharmonic for their wonderful playing but isn't there something more about Beethoven than wonderful playing? How about drama, power, passion, a sense of adventure? You don't find that in this Abbado cycle, but you will find a polite and delicate ensemble. It's true that Abbado once in a while struts his stuff, like the finale of the 7th symphony for instance is taken at a very hectic tempo but the effect is muted by the distant sound.

I listened to the Eroica and felt absolutely nothing! Listening to Abbado's vapid Ninth might make you hate classical music. John Elliot Gardiner is quite vapid too for instance, but at least he's gutsy and fun.

Do you enjoy dinner parties with friends and need some inoffensive background music for the occasion? This Abbado cycle will be perfect for that.

Do you actually want to hear the rage, the power, the beauty, the passion of Beethoven, one of the greatest musical minds that ever lived?

Try the following performances. Karajan in Symphony number 1 from his first or second cycle, Bernstein with the VPO in Symphony 2, the digital Karajan Gold performance for the Eroica, Furtwangler's insane Symphony 4 on Music and Arts, Karajan's massive 5th from 1962, available in the Complete Beethoven Edition, Volume 1. For the Pastoral, try Karl Bohm or Bruno Walter. For a truly devastating 7th, Furtwangler on Music and Arts. Karajan Gold again for a thrilling 8th, and last but not least, listen to the magnificient Solti Ninth with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1972, available on Penguin Classics. For a historical Ninth Symphony, Furtwangler is the man to go to, in 1942 or 1951.

Any one of those recordings is an 'event', an experience to cherish. I will not however be cherishing Claudio Abbado's Beethoven cycle, it's disposable. If you want to hear Abbado and the BPO in full glory and great sound, try out their great Brahms symphonies, recorded more than a decade and a half ago. At least you'll know they can be great together in something!

The recording industry is in such bad shape now that only the most super of superstar conductors can release a complete set of Beethoven symphonies. EMI opted for Simon Rattle with the Vienna Phil. while DG bet on Abbado with the Berlin Phil. Both conductors declared that they had totally rethought these works, which is code for "I have something to offer beyond Karajan."

They do, in a way. Both sets feature faster tempos, leaner ensembles, a less grand approach, and diminished heroism and Romanticism. If that is how you like modern Beethoven--not lean to the bone like Gardiner, Norrington, and other "authentic" conductors but not fat and sluggish like Barneboim and other traditionalists--then to my ears Abbado and Rattle come out about neck and neck.

In neither case do I hear best-of-class readings of any symphony, and the rethinking often slides by without making a strong impression in the absence of total commitment, which is what Klemperer, Furtwangler, Toscanini, and Karajan brought to Beethoven, each in a different way. Rattle and Abbado have superficially jazzed up the symphonies, but they almost make me want to mourn the end of Beethoven as a living force rather than just a museum piece. Of the two, Rattle will revert to the old ways more often--the Adagio to his Ninth, for example, has no period flavor at all.

The fact that these two conductors seem about equal suprised me, though, because Rattle has studiously avoided Beethoven almost his entire career while Abbado has been devoted to him for decades. Rattle's live concert performance of Fidelio with substandard singers was no great shakes, but Abbado has yet to hit one out of the park, either, having turned in a disappointing live Beethoven Ninth on Sony, some quite lackluster symphonies with the vienna Phil. when he was much younger, and a so-so set of concerti with Pollini.

The reviewer below compalins bitterly about the unsatisfactory sonics on the Abbado set. It was also my experience that DG didn't do as good a job as they might have, but unfortunately EMI gives Rattle somewhat tight, boxy, shrill sound as well.

If I had to, I would choose the Abbado set since Rattle is just starting out. It makes an impact when two high-profile ocnductors basically declare that period proponents like Norrington, Harnoncourt, and Gardiner were right. But I don't expect to return to either cycle very often.

I studied piano from age 4 to 20, I, believe it or not, received a book of miniscores of the Beethoven symphonies when I was around 10. I learned the pieces like that back of my hand.

Flash forward very many years. I don't do music for a living, but I think I know something about it. I read rave reviews of the new Abbado recordings of the Beethoven symphonies. I thought "what the heck, I'm in NY City, I'll buy them." I come back south, listen to the recordings, and I was thrilled. Overwhelmed.

Well, I'm obviously just a rube, because a recent reviewer has denounced the recordings as both technically and musically inadequate. I can't tell you how much it hurts me to learn that what I thought were definitive readings of these wonderful pieces weren't worth the CDs on which they were printed. Maybe it's time for introspection. Perhaps I really don't understand music.

Or perhaps the reviewer in question is just being contrary. I'm sorry, but anyone who would disparage these recordings really doesn't understand music. Both the interpretation and the recording are wonderful. While I might have a quibble or two about no. 9, nos. 1-8 more than make up for it.

If you can afford these recordings, buy them.

There is a growing consensus among professional musicians, musicologists, and aficionados that the use of "period" instruments in performances of the Classical repertoire yields an authenticity that is not realized when modern instruments are used. This sparkling cycle is more grist for the mill. Clarity, balance, and rationality - the hallmarks of the Classical style - shine through here.

Perhaps listeners raised on Karajan and Klemperer will be a bit jolted by the sound here. There are no theatrics, no fussy bombast, no histrionics. But for admirers of texture, the luxury of being able to hear the subtleties of orchestration will have a narcotic effect. To take but one example from this cycle, the fugal development of the final movement of Eroica is the most clear and balanced version I've yet heard.

Even so, the war between the "purists" and the "revisionists" will rage on, but thanks to this outstanding recording the former have gained yet another battle victory over the latter.

This set is amongst my favorite Beethoven symphonies, only falling in after the classic sounds of Bruno Walter and George Szell. For first timers I would recommend either of those performances (Szell's is at bargain price at the time of this writing and Walter's is at midprice, though quickly going out of print) to start off. I feel that the whole set is totally worthwhile, and I particularly enjoyed the 6th, 9th, and the Egmont overture. I agree with prior reviewers that we can only guess what Beethoven actually heard performed in his time, but I feel that many of the things that were said about these symphonies in "period" performance are true of any "period" performance. We can only guess, and Hogwood is world renowned as one of the most savvy guessers out there.

Beyond that, these performances are just great listening at a great price.

This Hogwood boxed set is very good to great as far as performance and interpretation is concerned. Sometimes sound quality can be my chief reason for buying a cd, and this has the best sound that I've found for the Beethoven symphonies. It has a very vivid fat sound quality. The sound quality in a lot of sets sounds very diffuse, kind of like listening to your stereo system without the equalizer on.

Not that the interpretation and performance are subpar, because they are far from that. This is period performance at it's absolute best. Hogwood shows that he knows what he's doing in conducting his superb Academy of Ancient Music.

This boxed set only sells for about $24.74, so I definitely wouldn't want to pass this superb bargain up!!!