Beethoven Symphonies 7-9, Christian Thielemann/VPO Blu-ray

[remdataram]

I couldn't resist this blu-ray, such a bargain at only £17.99.

Last night I sat back and watched the 7th Symphony and enjoyed the performance. In hindsight, I would have enjoyed it a great deal more without the picture.

Is it me, or was I in a time warp? It seemed like something from 30 years ago, there were but two token females in the orchestra, everyone was 'preened' to perfection, and the air of a wake pervaded the whole performance. I was inclined to believe that if any member of the orchestra showed the slightest sign of enjoyment, they would have been executed.

Such a shame, the performance, and recording, was excellent.

I await the 8th and 9th with trepidation.......

[Nick Armstrong]

Thielemann himself makes for uncomfortable viewing. Other senses suffer too - I sat centre front stalls directly behind him when he was on the podium for an opera (Rosenkav at the ROH I think) and the almost-eyewatering gust of aftershave/cologne that arrived with him and swirled around with his every movement, left me with a headache by the end of the evening...

[amateur51]

Thielemann himself makes for uncomfortable viewing. Other senses suffer too - I sat centre front stalls directly behind him when he was on the podium for an opera (Rosenkav at the ROH I think) and the almost-eyewatering gust of aftershave/cologne that arrived with him and swirled around with his every movement, left me with a headache by the end of the evening...

Blimey! What would that've been like on Sky2 in HD, Caliban?!?

I've seen Thielemann with the Philharomonia few times at the RFH and he's a big imposing figure who seems to have adopted a few of Karl Bohm's physical mannerisms, in particular that rather alarming crouch when he wants to scale the dynamics down suddenly.

I recall someone on the old board praising these VPO performances when they were played in AO3 but I missed them. I look forward to hearing your reviews of the other performances, remdataram

[euthynicus]

Boehm's not the first comparison that springs to my mind. CT encourages a much softer, more rounded attack, even in the separated chords of 7's introduction. What's immediately apparent is how much closer in spirit and understanding are the VPO to his approach than were the Philharmonia on the early DG recording, which I expect was made in something of a hurry. He has performed this music with this orchestra a great deal during the last five years, and it shows, however one reacts to the apparent archaisms. It's hard to believe they're not conscious, I know, and therefore cosmetic, but his Wagner shows him to be a musician of great flexibility and indeed instinctive understanding. He may have a slightly tin ear for singers - wouldn't be the first grand maestro of whom that was true - but he has a sure feel for what they need, as comparison of (say) different broadcast Parsifals over the years may attest. Anyway, back to Beethoven. I've always liked CT's 7 myself - witty and full of impetus, notwithstanding the tempi. I also think - belying his reputation - that No.2 is a highlight of the VPO cycle, with a devilish verve last heard on record from Harnoncourt. The more monumental of the symphonies on the page end up being the more marmoreal in sound.

[Nick Armstrong]

Blimey! What would that've been like on Sky2 in HD, Caliban?!?

Indeed!! It's called HFTV (High Fragrance Television), I think Mr Pee put me on to the new Panasonic "Olfactory HFTV" range... or it might have been Scottycelt (he wants one in time to catch some good whiffs of Eau de Sporran from the Edinburgh Tattoo coverage in August....)

[pastoralguy]

We got the 'Pastoral symphony' through Tesco DVD on Blu-Ray and thought it a very dull performance and proved that this symphony is the most difficult to bring off. IMHO, very high quality mediocrity!

Not a patch on Claudio Abbaddo's version with the Berlin Phil.

[Nick Armstrong]

very high quality mediocrity!

I know exactly what you mean. There's a lot of it about!