Klemperer - Beethoven: Orchestral recordings, symphonies & overtures

[Karafan]

Can anyone with an advance copy of this new EMI 10CD box please answer me a question?

The official EMI listing states baldly that it contains "all three" recordings he made of Beethoven's 7th, but the disc-by-disc contents listing shows only two 7ths.

Klemperer recorded the 7th in mono in 1955, and in stereo in 1960 and 1968. The 1968 recording has always been a bit elusive - so does anyone know whether it is, in actuality, included in this set?

Cheers

Karafan

[Bryn]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/4042752

Shows Symphonies 1-9 complete, plus two separate listings for the7th. That would make 3 in all, I think.

[Karafan]

Thanks Bryn - but I don't think that is accurate as MDT show the blow-by-blow contents: http://www.mdt.co.uk/beethoven-symph...-emi-6cds.html

[visualnickmos]

Klemperer recorded the 7th in mono in 1955, and in stereo in 1960 and 1968. The 1968 recording has always been a bit elusive - so does anyone know whether it is, in actuality, included in this set?

Cheers

Karafan

In fact regarding the 1955 recording EMI simultaneously recorded it in stereo as well - a sort of "test" I suppose. I have the very CD ref no. CDM 7 69183 2
It also has the overture Prometheus recorded in 1957. Both pieces were recorded in Kingsway Hall. As to the 1968 recording, I know nothing.

[Karafan]

Yes Visual, the elusive '68 recording is what is attracting me to a bit of otherwise needless duplication! I have all OK's Beethoven output except this 1968 7th.... but EMI seem to be causing some confusion with this.

K.

[visualnickmos]

Karafan
I just looked at the official Klemperer site's discography, and it appears that no recording of the 1968 New Philharmonia is available.

[Bryn]

I do not believe that EMI would devote a whole CD to just the 8th. I reckon disc 5 also has the 7th on it. CD 4 also looks dubious. Surely it does not just contain the 4th?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Please correct me if I'm wrong about this, but when I was growing up in th 1960s I was looking for a recording of the 7th. I rejected Klemperer's recordings because I became irritated by what I perceived as a rhythmic mannerism in the finale, beginning at bar 389. It seemed that the crotchets in the violas, cellos and basses were irregular with the second beat much longer than the first, with the characteristic increasing for the duration of the crescendo. The same mannerism was also apparent on the televised performances.

[Petrushka]

Any views on Klemperer's live Beethoven cycle as given in Vienna in May and June 1960 by the Philharmonia? I bought this last month but haven't got round to listening to it yet. The concert on June 4 included the Violin Concerto with Szeryng but it isn't included in this set. Is it available?

[Barbirollians]

I am not sure I would ever trust EMI's listings again after what they put in the blurb for that big Barbirolli box. They referred to him making a legendary recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Ida Haendel - I wish .

[Thropplenoggin]

I'm looking forward to the resolution of this topic, which will probably be solved when one of us has the box set! Only just over a month to go

Here's another recent(ish) Klemperer release. 4 Discs featuring the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and OK in Brahms, Mahler and Beethoven. Any ideas of the quality of the playing and sound? It's at the frankly ludicrous price of £7.96 over at Amazon. Though the price may well indicate quality See blurb below for more info on recording/repertoire played.

These recordings were all made in the mid-1950s in Cologne, where the great German conductor Otto Klemperer's work for the local radio station was a key element in his career. His work with the orchestras of the Cologne radio station produced benchmark performances of Classical and Romantic works, some of which are featured here on recordings of public concerts. Here is Klemperer in his element, for as he said himself, he needed the concert atmosphere "to be in top form". This 4-CD set includes outstanding recordings of Mahler's Fourth Symphony and Kindertotenlieder, Brahms' Requiem, and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony. Personnel: Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (conductor)

*EDIT*

Details of performers here.
Sound samples here .

[Bryn]

The Beethoven 9th is probably the same as that in the 10 disc Membran set of Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner. The other recordings are not in that set:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Documents/233373

Which can be found for less with a bit of creative Googling (I forget where I got the set from for around £10). MDT have it for £10.20 plus p&p.

[Thropplenoggin]

The Beethoven 9th is probably the same as that in the 10 disc Membran set of Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner. The other recordings are not in that set:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Documents/233373

Which can be found for less with a bit of creative Googling (I forget where I got the set from for around £10). MDT have it for £10.20 plus p&p.

Hmm. It seems not:

Presto gives this for the 10-disc set:

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'
WDR Live (1958)
Maria Stader (soprano), Grace Hoffman (mezzo), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor) & Hans Hotter (bass).
Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra & Cologne Radio Choir & North german Radio Choir

and this for the 'Klemperer in Concert' disc:

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'
07.06.1960
Wilma Lipp (soprano), Ursula Boese (alto), Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Franz Crass (bass)
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Wien & Philharmonia Orchestra

[mathias broucek]

Membran box contains some live Cologne RSO, some live in Vienna (Philharmonia) and some studio Beethoven. Contents are here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B005DCMVOI/ref=sr_cr_hist_4?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addFourStar&showViewpoints=0

[Tony Halstead]

'The Innocent Ear':
Yesterday I switched the car radio on and just 'happened' to be on a certain unmentionable classical music station.
The 4th mvt of the 1st symphony of Brahms had just started and I sat in the car park and listened. The 'sound' was shallow and boxy but that may have been due to the car radio.
But the playing was awful: thin, wiry strings, in-yer-face woodwind, out of tune horns, brash and shallow-toned brass, need I go on?
The only thing that redeemed the performance was the overall interpretation of the conductor - Klemperer.
The orchestra was the Philharmonia.

( Apologies, as I now realise this posting is 'off-topic'; the OP was about Klemperer's BEETHOVEN!)