François-Xavier Roth's Heroic Eroica

[richardfinegold]

I did a Qobuz search under the conductor and didn't find it.

[jayne lee wilson]

I did a Qobuz search under the conductor and didn't find it.

Try "Beethoven Roth", or "Beethoven Roth Siècles" to narrow it right down to 3 and 5...

[Barbirollians]

That puts me off - the funeral march should not be urgent.

Worries me too - Chailly's Marcia funebre was a disaster IMO.

Listening to the first movement - good as it is - much more punch and interest for me from VPO/Erich Kleiber in 1955.

Actually, Roth is not all that urgent 14.28 compared to 12.10 for Chailly but beautifully and fascinatingly played as it is the Marcia Funebre left me rather unmoved.Once again playing the VPO/Erich Kleiber afterwards reminded me as to why that is such a stupendous recording of the Eroica- utterly gripping.

I loved the last two moments and especially the Finale though . As a whole a very good performance but I did not find it quite as spectacular as JLW.

[visualnickmos]

Worries me too - Chailly's Marcia funebre was a disaster IMO.

Listening to the first movement - good as it is - much more punch and interest for me from VPO/Erich Kleiber in 1955.

Actually, Roth is not all that urgent 14.28 compared to 12.10 for Chailly but beautifully and fascinatingly played as it is the Marcia Funebre left me rather unmoved.Once again playing the VPO/Erich Kleiber afterwards reminded me as to why that is such a stupendous recording of the Eroica- utterly gripping.

I loved the last two moments and especially the Finale though . As a whole a very good performance but I did not find it quite as spectacular as JLW.

Is Roth and Les Siècles a 'period' ensemble?

[richardfinegold]

Try "Beethoven Roth", or "Beethoven Roth Siècles" to narrow it right down to 3 and 5...

Did that too...it doesn’t show up at all in his catalog. Perhaps not liscensed in the U.S.?

[LMcD]

That puts me off - the funeral march should not be urgent.

Perhaps it was raining - or the service may have overrun.

[cloughie]

Perhaps it was raining - or the service may have overrun.

Or only playing to 15 so didn’t really bother!

[cloughie]

Did that too...it doesn’t show up at all in his catalog. Perhaps not liscensed in the U.S.?

It is on Spotify if you’ve got it over the pond!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Thanks for the tip-off Jayne. A frustrating search on Qubuz trying every permutation finally got me there! Only listening on a holiday lash up of jam heavy metal speaker and iPad but enjoying it. FXR takes the first movement (if my stopwatch /reaction time is correct ) at 58 bars to the minute - the metronome marking (which many ignore) is 60 bars (or dotted minims) per min. His players take it all in their stride.It’s not a metronomic performance though - plenty of ebb and flow. Beautifully done coda - real edge of seat stuff.
Wonderfully hushed opening to the Adagio so that the sforzando comes as a real jolt even though I’ve heard it hundreds of times before. Some wonderful French horn playing and woodwind ...I can almost get over my aversion to vibratoless string playing . Looking forward to hearing it on big box speakers...the Jam heavy metal boom box doesn’t flatter the upper strings...

[gradus]

I found it on Spotify as Cloughie suggested.
Afraid I'm not attracted by the sound of this orchestra, in particular the thin violin tone nor the occasionally exaggerated dynamics. I don't find the Funeral March too fast but I miss the heft of a symphony orchestra at key moments. On the other hand the scherzo goes splendidly with the sparks flying.
Due respect to the conductor and orchestra but it's not a performance that I'll return to.
Such a pity that the wonderful Eroica website disappeared a few years ago. It was a real labour of love and the ideal place to compare this version with every other that had been recorded from the earliest to date.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I found it on Spotify as Cloughie suggested.
Afraid I'm not attracted by the sound of this orchestra, in particular the thin violin tone nor the occasionally exaggerated dynamics. I don't find the Funeral March too fast but I miss the heft of a symphony orchestra at key moments. On the other hand the scherzo goes splendidly with the sparks flying.
Due respect to the conductor and orchestra but it's not a performance that I'll return to.
Such a pity that the wonderful Eroica website disappeared a few years ago. It was a real labour of love and the ideal place to compare this version with every other that had been recorded from the earliest to date.

Mmm - so it’s not my boom box then. The strings are thin...

[richardfinegold]

It is on Spotify if you’ve got it over the pond!

I had discontinued Spotify when I went to Qobuz. Actually, the release date for the physical disc in the U.S. is May 7, so I am hoping that Qobuz will offer it after that date

My first Eroica was borrowing a budget lp on what was probably a pirate label from my sister about 50 years ago. It was Wilhelm Furtwangler (name meant nothing to me back then) and the VPO, from the fall of 1944.
Between the noisy vinyl and our cheapo home kit it sounded like there were bombs and anti aircraft fire audible in the background, but after obtaining a digital restoration of the same performance decades later I have to reluctantly conclude that I was mistaken. Still, it’s a performance of great urgency, with a shattering Funeral March

[Keraulophone]

the funeral march should not be urgent

Actually, it’s not particularly urgent at around quaver 68 (then 66, back to 68, et seq). Roth is not a time-beater; he maintains rhythmic but flexible tempi. Just occasionally eyebrows are raised, for example at short-changing the tied quaver in bar 151 of this movement. Chosen tempi in the other movements are also fine by me. The end of (iv) did feel underpowered IMO. Being the most significant symphony in western musical history, it needs to conclude in triumph.

[cloughie]

I found it on Spotify as Cloughie suggested.
Afraid I'm not attracted by the sound of this orchestra, in particular the thin violin tone nor the occasionally exaggerated dynamics. I don't find the Funeral March too fast but I miss the heft of a symphony orchestra at key moments. On the other hand the scherzo goes splendidly with the sparks flying.
Due respect to the conductor and orchestra but it's not a performance that I'll return to.
Such a pity that the wonderful Eroica website disappeared a few years ago. It was a real labour of love and the ideal place to compare this version with every other that had been recorded from the earliest to date.

I think there are fewer strings than traditionally used for Beethoven but like Currentzis chose to record from the middle of the orchestra accentuating the fizz on the strings - to my ears an unnatural and not very pleasant sound.

[Bert]

The best Eroica I've heard in years. But then I'm big on Currentzis, too. Don't quite get all that's in the prolix OP, but I go with the spirit of it. Not sure how this one passed me by, so I'm pleased to have been given the heads up.