Indispensable recordings 10.08.2024. Proms Composer 4: Beethoven

[Barbirollians]

This really is the dead poets society

E Kleiber, Giulini, Klamperer, Fricsay Szell, Haitink, Sanderling, Busch Q, Schnabel, Jochum, Leitner, Gulda, Solomon, Walter, Levy, Zhukov, E and A Fischer, Cortot. Thibaud, Casals, Furtwangler, Italiano Q.

Barenboim,Brendel and Perlman are still with us of getting on a bit.

[richardfinegold]

What big risks did Furtwangler take in Beethoven? I thought it was all meticulously planned and micromanaged with an iron hand in performance. And Schnabel - apart from the (foolhardy) first movement of op 106? I don't know if there were any Schnabel retakes, unpublished versions. I suppose the second recording of op 109 and op 111 are retakes stemming from dissatisfaction with the first published performances.

I'm pretty sure I could think of some modern real risk takers if I put my mind to it - have you heard Pletnev's op 110 for example - on youtube? And HJ Lim's complete sonatas? And Aimard's concertos with Harnoncourt?

Have you heard his wartime Beethoven Ninths?

[Mandryka]

Have you heard his wartime Beethoven Ninths?

Yes, but not for a very long time.

[oliver sudden]

Yes, but not for a very long time.

Go on then…

https://youtu.be/7pszB5Ic2KA?feature=shared

[Retune]

Here are today's picks, a rather personal selection by Marina Frolova-Walker rather than the 'best recordings'.

Coriolan Overture, Op.62
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Daniel Harding
Beethoven: Overtures (Virgin/Warner Classics)

Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, Op.31 No.2 'Tempest'
Sviatoslav Richter
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12, 17, 22, 13 (Alto/Musical Concepts)

String Quartet No.9 in C major, Op.59 No.3
Quatuor Ebene
Beethoven Around the World: The Complete String Quartets (Erato)

An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98
Julian Prégardien, Christoph Schnackertz
An die Geliebte (Myrios Classics)

Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Op.125
Gwyneth Jones, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo, Kurt Moll, Vienna State Opera Choir, Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies (Deutsche Grammophon)

The Coriolan is a rather hard-edged performance ('sculptural' for Marina) from a recording that has been negatively reviewed elsewhere. Andrew sounded politely sceptical ('You do need tenderness as well though, don't you?').

Can't really argue with picking Richter; the Tempest is an EMI studio recording from 1961, the others on the remastered Alto disc are from RCA the previous year. Andrew found the recording quality of the Tempest 'a bit airless' compared to the Appassionata but was suitably impressed by the 'edge of the seat' experience of hearing Richter's interpretation, which also found 'the beauty and the mystery' of the sonata. Marina heard Richter play the Tempest live in Moscow in 1980, a life-changing concert that she recorded from the radio the next day and would have preferred to include if it had been readily available.

I like what I've heard of the Ebene live cycle, including the fugue from the third Razumovsky quartet played today. An die ferne Geliebte is far from mainstream Beethoven, but well-performed here. Lenny's VPO 9th is a 2017 remastering of his 1979 recording.

[Pulcinella]

Thanks, Retune.
Not only had I forgotten to update the thread, but your contribution is much better (in both content and layout!) than mine would have been.

[smittims]

I'm afraid Marina and I will have to agree to differ. I don't think any of those are 'indispensible'.

[silvestrione]

Yes, she didn't really take up the challenge. These were 'a personal selection'.

[Pulcinella]

Yes, she didn't really take up the challenge. These were 'a personal selection'.

Maybe just 'indispensable to her'? In which case, fair enough, I say, as the general concept of one performance fits all is a bit ridiculous.

[silvestrione]

Maybe just 'indispensable to her'? In which case, fair enough, I say, as the general concept of one performance fits all is a bit ridiculous.

Eh? That's not what 'indispensable' means here surely? Have you no time for the idea of a classic recording, which is thought to have a centrality to, and to be perhaps the best of, a performing tradition? Which if you haven't heard, you may well be missing something essential (even if you have other personal favourites).

[Pulcinella]

Eh? That's not what 'indispensable' means here surely? Have you no time for the idea of a classic recording, which is thought to have a centrality to, and to be perhaps the best of, a performing tradition? Which if you haven't heard, you may well be missing something essential (even if you have other personal favourites).

Given that the suggestions on these threads are all our own personal indispensables, for whatever reason (and of course the idea of a classic that has withstood the test of time will feature for many), then I see nothing at all strange in this personal selection.
Perhaps she's gently undermining the whole ridiculous concept?

[Retune]

Thanks, Retune.
Not only had I forgotten to update the thread, but your contribution is much better (in both content and layout!) than mine would have been.

Thanks!

I was figuring out exactly which recordings she had chosen, so I thought I might as well post them here (the RR programme page was incomplete at the time), with a few words about the most interesting discussion points.

Given that the suggestions on these threads are all our own personal indispensables, for whatever reason (and of course the idea of a classic that has withstood the test of time will feature for many), then I see nothing at all strange in this personal selection.
Perhaps she's gently undermining the whole ridiculous concept?

Yes, 'personally indispensable' is I think a perfectly valid approach here, especially for a composer as prolific and widely recorded as Beethoven. It's hard enough picking a BaL selection for any one of his major works. If they were covering someone like Borodin, with a fairly small output and an even smaller number of well known pieces, a 'generally indispensable' list might not be quite so ludicrous.

[ostuni]

Have you no time for the idea of a classic recording, which is thought to have a centrality to, and to be perhaps the best of, a performing tradition? .

Absolutely not! I think the whole notion of 'a performing tradition’ for music which was composed 200+ years ago is pretty meaningless: tastes change, styles change. I started listening to, and buying records of, Beethoven in the 60s and 70s, but derive very little pleasure in revisiting recordings from that era: my tastes have changed, and I am now far more likely to seek out recordings from the last couple of decades, ranging from HIP-influenced to full-blown HIPP.

[Sir Velo]

I started listening to, and buying records of, Beethoven in the 60s and 70s, but derive very little pleasure in revisiting recordings from that era: my tastes have changed, and I am now far more likely to seek out recordings from the last couple of decades, ranging from HIP-influenced to full-blown HIPP.

Hear hear! Pretty much sums up my attitude.

[Pulcinella]

Eh? That's not what 'indispensable' means here surely? Have you no time for the idea of a classic recording, which is thought to have a centrality to, and to be perhaps the best of, a performing tradition? Which if you haven't heard, you may well be missing something essential (even if you have other personal favourites).

Apologies for not responding more considerately, which later posts have done, and for possibly even seeming dismissive.
I've now realised that you highlighted some words in my post; they were indeed not ideal.