Beethoven and Barenboim

[Barbirollians]

The new set with the West Divan orchestra is available to download on iTunes for £9.99

Worth a punt I reckon as in CD it seems double in price at the cheapest .

[Petrushka]

I'm going to their Proms performances next month so would be interested to have your assessment of these recordings.

Is the 9th identical to a recording issued a few years ago or is it brand new?

[Stunsworth]

Fot those with an interest in high resolution audio, the set is available from Amazon as a 24/96 download for £30. Details here...

http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-beethoven-for-all---symphonies-1---9.aspx

[HighlandDougie]

Fot those with an interest in high resolution audio, the set is available from Amazon as a 24/96 download for £30. Details here...

http://www.linnrecords.com/recording...ies-1---9.aspx

But not, alas, for those of us who live in France. I do wish cross-territorial rights/copyright issues could be made to go away.

[Stunsworth]

But not, alas, for those of us who live in France. I do wish cross-territorial rights/copyright issues could be made to go away.

I totally agree, I'm surprised the EU doesn't have something to say.

On the other hand you can download from Qobuz and I can't.

Speaking of which, here's the Barenboim available as a studio master from Qobuz...

http://www.qobuz.com/album/west-eastern-divan-orchestra-daniel-barenboim-beethoven-for-all-symphonies-1-9/0002894783512

[HighlandDougie]

Thanks for that link, Steve. It had somehow passed me by. With the current exchange rate, that makes Qobuz a little bit cheaper than Linn. It'll probably take 2 days to download them (terrible ADSL speed here) but at that price in 24/96 ....

[Barbirollians]

Not listened to them all but on first listening I have liked 1,2,4 and 8 a great deal, the first movement of the 5th is very traditional but the scherzo and finale are thrilling reminding me of the LSO/Jochum.

No 7 I found rather underwhelming . The Pastoral is delightful .

Eroica and Choral to go

[amateur51]

Not listened to them all but on first listening I have liked 1,2,4 and 8 a great deal, the first movement of the 5th is very traditional but the scherzo and finale are thrilling reminding me of the LSO/Jochum.

No 7 I found rather underwhelming . The Pastoral is delightful .

Eroica and Choral to go

I assume it's 'traditional' big band Beethoven, Barbirollians?

[DublinJimbo]

I went for the iTunes download, which is certainly remarkably good value.

Listening to the Fourth right now and can find nothing special about it. Slow tempi generally (the first movement's Allegro vivace has lost its 'vivace'), and all rather pedestrian. Before that, while downloading was in progress, I listened to the final three movements of the Pastoral and I'm sorry to say the same comments apply. I'm hoping for a better response to the rest.

[Later: The finale of the Fourth is more successful.]

In reply to Petrushka's query about the provenance of the recording of the Ninth, the entire cycle was recording (in the Philharmonie in Köln) between 23rd and 28th August 2011. Also, the symphonies set is just part of a wider-ranging project which also includes the piano concertos and the piano sonatas (to be released in August and October respectively). Barenboim is the pianist in both cases, while the orchestra for the piano concertos is the Staatskapelle Berlin.

[mathias broucek]

I already have his Berlin Beethoven which I quite like.

Has anyone heard both cycles?

[Barbirollians]

Well have finished listening to it .

Yes it is big band Beethoven . Rather smoothed over at times - the first movement of the Eroica being a case in point . I am sure our most HIPPite members really will not like it .

The benefits - the playing is very committed and very accomplished . There is not a sense of the routine and I imagine that is very much due to the youth and background of the players but it is very much mainstream . It would not have scared the horses in the 50s 60s or 70s.

I do like Barenboim and the orchestra's way with 1,2,4,& 8 . The playing makes what might be thought to be very middle of the road interpretations seem less so . I cannot help but feel that barenboim is trying to be Furtwangler in 3 and 9 and does not pull it off . The singing is good in 9 and the last three movements of the Eroica are very good indeed but there is none of the snarl and shock of the opening movement of Eroica - that say Erich Kleiber produced with the VPO .

The 5th also suffers from a first movement that does not catch fire - though as I said above I like the last two movements very much .The Pastoral is charming but very much a central interpretation.

The one real disappointment for me is the 7th - it never quite takes off at any point . I have to admit only listening to it once and will give it another go .

Worth £9.99 - undoubtedly - would I have been happy had I paid £30 plus on CD possibly not .

[BBMmk2]

Getting yet another LvB Symphony Cycle has to be rather special.

I had watched the prom performance last night. Although they were reall good this orchestra, I am not too sure yet aboiut buying this set.