BaL 29.10.11 Dvorak's Symphony no. 8

[Bryn]

The Cluytens Beethoven Symphonies set was included in a 50CD EMI Beethoven "The Collector's Edition" box a few years ago. At the time of release I got it for £45. Last year I found it 'remaindered' in an HMV store for £5! There was also a similar 50 CD EMI Mozart set for the same price. They will make handy presents for someone or other in a couple of months.

[Nick Armstrong]

They also have the splendid Cluytens/BPO stereo Beethoven symphonies set for £15 !

Interesting! Worth investing?

In preference to the Sanderling? (Funny track layout on the latter - the last movement of No 1 shoved after No 9 it seems... )

[Bryn]

Interesting! Worth investing?

In preference to the Sanderling? (Funny track layout on the latter - the last movement of No 1 shoved after No 9 it seems... )

Quite definitely in preference to the Sanderling, (not his best work by any means). The Cluytens Berlin set puts the Karajan survey recorded a little later very much in the shade.

[visualnickmos]

.... The Cluytens Berlin set puts the Karajan survey recorded a little later very much in the shade.

I agreee - even with the passage of time, the Cluytens set is so fresh. And all the symphonies have a tremendous senseof being exactly right - enough room to 'breath' when necessary; a perfect interpretation.

[Barbirollians]

The Cluytens set would be a perfect introduction to the symphonies and likely to engender a lifelong love of Beethoven .

[Barbirollians]

As I am guilty of taking the thread off track . I also like that RCO/Davis coupling of Dvorak 7 & 8 on Philips a great deal - a shame if it is out of the catalogue .

[Nick Armstrong]

I agreee - even with the passage of time, the Cluytens set is so fresh. And all the symphonies have a tremendous senseof being exactly right - enough room to 'breath' when necessary; a perfect interpretation.

Bryn, Nick and Barbs: thanks That's good enough for me. Duly ordered! I have all the symphonies in various other readings (and was given the Bernstein - VPO box I think). The Cluytens sounds the sort of approach I like - rather like the Josef Krips / Concertgebouw Mozart Symphonies perhaps, which I swear by (if I may further derail this thread)

[HighlandDougie]

Financially ruinous, as ever, reading these posts but at a shade under £10, the complete Cluytens ordered via Amazon Marketplace. I only have the 6th, which I like very much, so I'm looking forward to hearing the others. I can play them alternately with the Chailly when it (the Chailly) gets too much (I think maybe it rather lacks, as Nick succinctly puts it, "enough room to breathe").

And back on thread, the Kreizberg Dvorak 8th is very good, although I'm not sure it would be my BAL choice. Excellent fill-ups, though (Wild Dove; Noonday Witch).

[Biffo]

Going off track again, I found the Cluytens/Beethoven cycle a game of two halves (well almost). Nos 1-6 were unfussy, fresh and vital, everything people have been praising. I found Nos 7-9 slightly disapointing (when compared to 1-6), No 7 in particular being rather slow. Having said that, none of the performances were bad with lots to enjoy.

Back on track, Kubelik/BPO was my first love in No 8 and I don't find the BPO under his direction 'slick'. I haven't heard the Orfeo 8th but I do have Kubelik/BRSO in No 6 on the same label - excellent!

[HighlandDougie]

The Davis 7,8 & 9 are available, albeit "used", from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00000416E/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1319734463&sr=1-2&condition=used

I've just bought 7 & 8 for just under £2:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00000E3MX/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1319734176&sr=8-1&condition=used

Great performances and recordings which I still have on vinyl. That's enough CD buying for one day

[Barbirollians]

Well spotted HD- EMI France have now reissued the Cluytens and it can be bought for under £10 an awesome bargain

[Nick Armstrong]

Well spotted HD- EMI France have now reissued the Cluytens and it can be bought for under £10 an awesome bargain

Quite - I ordered mine earlier for a princely £8.68 including p&p

[amateur51]

Quite - I ordered mine earlier for a princely £8.68 including p&p

Bravo Barbirollians & Caliban - it's a fine cycle & I might buy another one at that price as a gift.

Cluytens tends to get mentioned as an afterthought so often and yet his recorded legacy is pretty fine.

[DoctorT]

I logged on to read about Dvorak and found myself in a Beethoven thread...not good enough

As a student I first got to know the Beethoven symphonies through the Cluytens set. I loved the 2nd and 6th especially. Although I've since accumulated Karajan, Wand, Norrington, Immerseel etc., I too am tempted to indulge. I used to pay £1.25 for each Classics for Pleasure LP in my local Boots, before it became a perfumery!

Now about Dvorak 8. The only recording I possess is the Mackerras LPO version already derided on this thread. To my ears it sounds just fine, but I look forward to Rob's recommendations tomorrow.

[Nick Armstrong]

I logged on to read about Dvorak and found myself in a Beethoven thread...not good enough

As a student I first got to know the Beethoven symphonies through the Cluytens set. I loved the 2nd and 6th especially. Although I've since accumulated Karajan, Wand, Norrington, Immerseel etc., I too am tempted to indulge. I used to pay £1.25 for each Classics for Pleasure LP in my local Boots, before it became a perfumery!

Mea culpa !!

But good to read.

Yes, at £1.73 per CD that's reassuringly comparable with the old days: you're talking about the 70s if I remember my own early rifling through the records in Boots

(I remember I bought an LP of "1812" and "Marche Slave" etc because the cover looked like a still from the Rod Steiger / Christopher Plummer film "Waterloo" which I'd just seen twice )