Overview of Beethoven Symphony sets - reviews

[Petrushka]

Yes - a competent pair of hands in the studio (and sometimes more - a pretty good CD of Beethoven Overtures, for example) - but in the Concert Hall, he could be mind-blowing.

Agree with this verdict. I saw him perform the Beethoven 9 twice and both were superb. A fine Mahler 1 and Bruckner 7 as well.

[richardfinegold]

Agree with this verdict. I saw him perform the Beethoven 9 twice and both were superb. A fine Mahler 1 and Bruckner 7 as well.

Ialso agree. I have
heard two beethoven Symphonies with Masur in Concert that were far superior to his cycle on Pentatone.

[Petrushka]

What are people's thoughts on Barenboim's first cycle with the Staatskapelle Berlin (Warner Classics). Amazon scribblers seem mostly enamoured with it, some lauding his Furtwanglerian tendencies, others carping about them. The sound is supposed to be excellent, and the price is, erm, right.

The price is indeed right! As if I haven't got enough LvB cycles on my shelves already, I'm sorely tempted.

[amateur51]

Agree with this verdict. I saw him perform the Beethoven 9 twice and both were superb. A fine Mahler 1 and Bruckner 7 as well.

I'll throw in a staggering Shostakovich symphony no 7 and a fine Britten War Requiem (now on CD) both at the Royal Festival Hall with the LPO

[Dave2002]

I'll throw in a staggering Shostakovich symphony no 7 and a fine Britten War Requiem (now on CD) both at the Royal Festival Hall with the LPO

I'm really glad to hear about these - though what are his current performances like? It seemed odd to me that some of his recordings seem merely adequate, yet reviews of concerts and word of mouth remarks suggest something very much better.

Masur would not, however, be the first musician to give completely different impressions in recordings compared with concert hall performances.

Sadly Masur now seems to be having more health problems (though I don't know what - perhaps anaemia), and had problems during 2012-13 and hip replacement surgery - and has recently postponed a seminar in the USA- 2014 - http://www.msmnyc.edu/Instruction-Fa...ucting-Seminar

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/17/kurt-masur-conducting-class-is-postponed/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

2012- http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddi...to-resume.html
2013 - http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddi...roken-leg.html
2013 - http://www.kurtmasur.com/news.html

Sadly it seems possible that I won't ever get to hear him at anything like his best, and I'll may just have to accept that he was really outstanding in some concerts.

[gamba]

Oh dear, I do seem to be on my own in this respect. After approx. 75 years of listening to these symphonies, live, radio & on disc, I have retained one recording that in simple - minded old age somehow retains the ( also rather aged ) conductors affection for this music. No fireworks or extremes of any kind. Nothing excessive, just warmth & a feeling of being involved in sharing with us just what it has to say.
This is someone I have both heard & seen when possible on the concert platform & have always felt this sense of a sharing of what the music is all about. No personal indulgences. Have to admit the discs were on ' special offer ' following a concert by the participants;

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, Edinburgh Festival, 2006

[verismissimo]

Oh dear, I do seem to be on my own in this respect. After approx. 75 years of listening to these symphonies, live, radio & on disc, I have retained one recording that in simple - minded old age somehow retains the ( also rather aged ) conductors affection for this music. No fireworks or extremes of any kind. Nothing excessive, just warmth & a feeling of being involved in sharing with us just what it has to say.
This is someone I have both heard & seen when possible on the concert platform & have always felt this sense of a sharing of what the music is all about. No personal indulgences. Have to admit the discs were on ' special offer ' following a concert by the participants;

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, Edinburgh Festival, 2006

No need to apologise, gamba. Sir Charles's work with the SCO will live forever!

[HighlandDougie]

Oh dear, I do seem to be on my own in this respect.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, Edinburgh Festival, 2006

Not at all (being alone, that is). I was present at some of these concerts which were exciting occasions when the combination of a really top-rate chamber-sized orchestra and the conductor whom I am told by people in the orchestra was possibly their favourite maestro produced really sparkling results, which happily have been made available on a permanent basis via this set. If forced to choose only one set of these symphonies, one could do a lot worse (and that is not meant to be damnation through faint praise)

[gamba]

Verismissimo &. HighlandDougie,

Grateful thanks to you both,

Gamba

[visualnickmos]

I've been listening through to the Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony Orchestra set, (7th and 8th at the time of writing) and what a great set it is. The Pastoral is absolutely magnificent.

[Thropplenoggin]

I've been listening through to the Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony Orchestra set, (7th and 8th at the time of writing) and what a great set it is. The Pastoral is absolutely magnificent.

Agreed. A worthier BaL winner than the actual laureate, Kleiber's cassette-tape recording of a live account.

I was hoping for more thoughts on Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin set...to nudge me into buying it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Verismissimo &. HighlandDougie,

Grateful thanks to you both,

Gamba

I don't know Mackerras' SCO recordings, but his cycle with the RLPO were pretty damn fine - as expected from this fine Musician and inspiring conductor.

Thropple - remember: you only regret the one you don't buy!

[Dave2002]

I was hoping for more thoughts on Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin set...to nudge me into buying it.

I sampled some of the Barenboim Staatskapelle set this morning on Spotify. Big band sound - big acoustic. The newer East West Divan recordings seem sharper (not in pitch). I'd need to spend more time - but it felt as though the newer set had more to offer, in the time I spent. Finally I switched to Krivine, and in the first I was at first surprised at how close and dry the sound was. A bit later on there were clearly some imperfections in the performance, but number 7, which I heard right through, is really good.

I'd like to go back to Immerseel's set which I have heard before. Others here have rated Krivine over Immerseel, but I'm not sure that it's really so clear cut.

It may actually be that there are very few sets which have very good performances throughout. Should one then opt for the set which is overall the most even, or get several and hope that the highs and lows in each set can be balanced out? The most even could simply be the most unadventurous - which might suit some, but personally I wouldn't like it much. Maybe that's Blomstedt, or Masur, or others such as Ashkenazy (his 6th is good) or one of many others.

[richardfinegold]

Agreed. A worthier BaL winner than the actual laureate, Kleiber's cassette-tape recording of a live account.

I was hoping for more thoughts on Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin set...to nudge me into buying it.

I have 6 &9 on DVD Audio. Nothing special.
I'm listening to the 7th now, in response to Throp's post (I had forgotten that I own that as well). It's well played and the Orchestra has more of aCentral Europen tang to it than what we tend to get nowadays, but as a performance it doesn't quicken the pulse or make me reach for others from the

[Barbirollians]

The Kletzki Pastoral is another magnificent account - Bohm,Walter, Boult and Kletzki - all great favourites with me .

Not forgetting Cluytens, Kleiber pere and Jochum.