Beethoven Symphony Cycles

[richardfinegold]

I must get round to finishing listening to the Bruggen set but I have been listening to the much lauded Krivine - four symphonies in - very bright well played performances but no special insights to my ears . What am I missing ?

The Krivine was formerly available on Spotify (they seem to have withdrawn it). I listened thru one time. I enjoyed them and wish they were still available, but my general impression was the same.

[Barbirollians]

Well I have now listened to 5,7 & 8 as well of the Krivine set . 5 seems a touch lightweight , 7 is very good except for two points - a rather aimless trio and a gabbled opening to the finale . 8 I did not like at all - unbuttoned it isn't - a very tense reading with jabbing accents - a musical equivalent of being poked in the chest .

My general feeling on these first listenings is that the set is overrated and not a patch on the Philips Bruggen for a HIPP set - maybe 6 and 9 will convince me more .

[Barbirollians]

Having finished listening to Krivine - a bouncy refreshing Pastoral and a sound but unexceptional Ninth I have been listening to the Szell set . I knew and already liked the Eroica . So far a cracking 4th , a good 7th - a beautifully paced and played 1st and a quite lovely Pastoral - I thought this might be like Karajan a bit charmless but no way - wonderful playing and warmth and charm . Almost like hearing it for the first time again.

[visualnickmos]

Having finished listening to Krivine - a bouncy refreshing Pastoral and a sound but unexceptional Ninth I have been listening to the Szell set . I knew and already liked the Eroica . So far a cracking 4th , a good 7th - a beautifully paced and played 1st and a quite lovely Pastoral - I thought this might be like Karajan a bit charmless but no way - wonderful playing and warmth and charm . Almost like hearing it for the first time again.

A superb set, this - and don't you think that given its age, the recording quality is quite delicious.....

[Petrushka]

A superb set, this - and don't you think that given its age, the recording quality is quite delicious.....

Another admirer of the Szell cycle here. I see that the Bruno Walter set is due for imminent release and I've wanted that one for a long time.

[Barbirollians]

A superb set, this - and don't you think that given its age, the recording quality is quite delicious.....

Indeed , extraordinarily good for the late 50s early 60s . The Pastoral I found very moving.

[verismissimo]

Just listened to S2 from BPO/Cluytens on recently acquired LP from Oxfam. Top stuff!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I see that the Bruno Walter set is due for imminent release and I've wanted that one for a long time.

Is that the Columbia SO cycle. I have 4 & 5 on an early CD. Walter's was the first ever on CD, but the sound had been tampered with by some crass engineer, the sound having been moved unbearably close in the slow movement of B5. I hope the new issue will have this put right.

[Stanfordian]

Is that the Columbia SO cycle. I have 4 & 5 on an early CD. Walter's was the first ever on CD, but the sound had been tampered with by some crass engineer, the sound having been moved unbearably close in the slow movement of B5. I hope the new issue will have this put right.

Hiya Eine Alpensinfonie,

I have individual favourites for most of Beethoven's individual symphonies but if I had to have just one complete set if would be Karl Boehm and the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophon which has been recently re-issued on its ‘Collectors Edition’ series. Recorded in 1969/71 I originally had it as a LP box set, an introductory gift from membership of the Britannia Record Club.

[Roehre]

Hiya Eine Alpensinfonie,

I have individual favourites for most of Beethoven's individual symphonies but if I had to have just one complete set if would be Karl Boehm and the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophon which has been recently re-issued on its ‘Collectors Edition’ series. Recorded in 1969/71 I originally had it as a LP box set, an introductory gift from membership of the Britannia Record Club.

That Böhm-set replaced the Karajan-1962 set in the 1977-re-release of the 1970 Beethoven Edition .
For me the Pastoral is THE high point of that Böhm-cycle.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I originally had it as a LP box set, an introductory gift from membership of the Britannia Record Club.

Snap! Following a Richard Osborne review of the available complete sets of the Beethoven Symphonies back in the late '70s/early '80s - in which he declared that with Böhm, Bernstein and Karajan (the '70s set) DG had the three finest sets available. I already had Karajan and Bernstein, so when the Böhm was offered for under a fiver, I went for it.

A few years later, it was one of the first LPs I got rid of to make room for my growing CD collection - I didn't take to it at all!

(Nor did I get on with Britannia, who would regularly send records I hadn't ordered, and not send me ones that I had - and ended up threatening me with legal action if I didn't send them money for a CD I hadn't ordered and which they hadn't sent. I consulted a solicitor who advised me to write back telling the company that I didn't think that threatening legal action was a competent way of running a business, and that they were welcome to take such action as I was sure that I would win any such dispute. Worked a treat!)

[geoffm]

A reminder too about Rene Liebowicz' 1961/2 RPO cycle for the Readers Digest. Uplifting and highly enjoyable. Appears to be available still as a cheap download, or very expensive discs. More commentary on Amazon (CD section). The download is at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

[visualnickmos]

Walter Weller's set which was originally on Chandos is rather good. It can also be found here on two matching box-sets:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Symphonies-Nos-Walter-Weller/dp/B0007KVNAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1443627693&sr=1-1&keywords=weller+Beethoven

and

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Complete-Symponies-II-UK/dp/B000FBUF04/ref=sr_1_20?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1443627749&sr=1-20&keywords=weller+Beethoven

I don't know how they compare to the Chandos 'masters' - one would hope they are just as good......?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Walter Weller's set which was originally on Chandos is rather good.

I bought the Chandos/Weller set for my son, on its first release. It contained Dr. Barry Cooper's realisation of the first movement of the 10th Symphony.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I bought the Chandos/Weller set for my son, on its first release. It contained Dr. Barry Cooper's realisation of the first movement of the 10th Symphony.

Ah! That reminds me - wasn't the first recording of that by the LSO as part of their Beethoven cycle with Wyn Morris? A fine set, that - but a totally unconvincing "Tenth".

Geoffm (#87) - Leibowitz with the RPO: a great set, one of the finest there is; let down by one of the worst solo quartets in the Ninth's recording history.