BaL 1.03.14 - Beethoven Symphony no. 7 in A

[visualnickmos]

Anyone remember 'Steve's Sounds' just on the edge of Chinatown - London? Great classical bargains were to be found upstairs....

And then there was 'Caruso's', near Charlotte Street, and in Rupert Street there was 'Cheapo Cheapo'....

[Bryn]

Anyone remember 'Steve's Sounds' just on the edge of Chinatown - London? Great classical bargains were to be found upstairs....

And then there was 'Caruso's', near Charlotte Street, and in Rupert Street there was 'Cheapo Cheapo'....

Indeed, and also Mr. CD in Berwick Street. Steve was an excellent host, and his Christmas and New Year festivities were worth visiting his shop for in their own right. Much missed. I got many of my most treasured LPs and CDs from him.

Oh, and to get this on topic, I certainly bought a CD of a 'harmonie' arrangement of the 7th from him.



though in an earlier release.

[Barbirollians]

Gibbs was on Charlottle Street just a road or so behind the Piccadilly complex .

[Bryn]

I have a real soft spot for this concert recording:



Possibly conditioned by the occasion. Whatever, I much prefer it to Bernstein's version of the 9th given a few days later with a 'pick-up' orchestra of leading musicians.

[visualnickmos]

...Oh, and to get this on topic

Sorry chaps - I did wander off a bit! But that Barenboim live Berlin concert does look mighty interesting, especially as I do have a liking for the 7th. How do you rate it as an "experience" rather than a clinical analysis.......?

Solti on Decca with the CSO - an excellent recording. There must be some kicking around somewhere. Well worth it if you can find it - the whole cycle, not just the 7th.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Gibbs was a haven.
Spent what seemed like hours in there browsing through stuff that I couldn't afford.
Wasn't there a really good record shop in the Piccadilly Hotel complex or thereabouts,can't remember the name,or memory playing tricks ?

And don't forget Rare Records Ltd.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I bought the Carlos Kleiber LP the month it came out (June 1977) and it's splendid, even more so in the CD coupling with that famous 5th. The VPO horns and timps give it terrific thrusting momentum and it would be my clear first choice. Listen to the VPO horns in full cry almost at the symphony's end to hear why. ... Any version that has the horns buried in the general welter of sound at the end is a non-starter in my view.

Wow! I've just spent a dizzying 35 minutes listening to this recording and ... well ... Wow!

You're right about the Horns, Pet (Karajan is also magnificently orgiastic in 1977) - and what I admire is how well Kleiber (and Beethoven, of course!) builds up to this moment throughout the Symphony (they're most obviously there whooping at the end of the First Movement, but the Horns at the top of their register are prominent at salient moments in the whole work). How Kleiber guages these moments, though - each time he brings them a little further forward in the balance until that full-throated phrase at the end.

Orchestral balance is brilliantly judged and produced throughout: conductor, players and the recording engineers together really get the "colours" of Beethoven's score in magnificent sound - Kleiber reads what's there, recognizes the composer's astonishing imagination, matches it with his own and the players bring it to sound. It's depressing how many performances fall at this basic level. The repeats are all there (except that in the second appearance of the Scherzo - 8mins 15secs [the repeat would've added 30secs to the total) - but not just "played through again", re-presenting the Music anew, allowing different details to come through. A pity about the pizzications at the end of the Allegretto - the Movement I have some reservations about, generally; all of them interpretive, not textual - but I think you're right: any modern instrument recording of the work will have its work cut out "bettering" this 38-year-old recording.

[MickyD]

Indeed, and also Mr. CD in Berwick Street. Steve was an excellent host, and his Christmas and New Year festivities were worth visiting his shop for in their own right. Much missed. I got many of my most treasured LPs and CDs from him.

Oh, and to get this on topic, I certainly bought a CD of a 'harmonie' arrangement of the 7th from him.

I have that CD too, Bryn! As well as the same band's CD of Janissary Music, including, I think, "Wellington's Victory" for wind band!

[amateur51]

Anyone remember 'Steve's Sounds' just on the edge of Chinatown - London? Great classical bargains were to be found upstairs....

And then there was 'Caruso's', near Charlotte Street, and in Rupert Street there was 'Cheapo Cheapo'....

Caruso & Company was wonderfully eccentric, owned and run by two former Henry Stave and Direction Dean Street stalwarts, Sally Rettig and Colin Butler.

Cheapo Cheapo was run by two men I nicknamed The Grumpensteins such was their baleful demeanour. Their support was the ever-cheerful and shyly charming Gloria who made up for the men's customer service by-pass.

Happy days of long ago

OT, when I left Henry Stave's employ, I received a gift of Beethoven symphony no. 7 conducted by Cantelli on CfP

[Bryn]

I have that CD too, Bryn! As well as the same band's CD of Janissary Music, including, I think, "Wellington's Victory" for wind band!

The latter a favourite repeated spin on TtN.

[Barbirollians]

Wow! I've just spent a dizzying 35 minutes listening to this recording and ... well ... Wow!

You're right about the Horns, Pet (Karajan is also magnificently orgiastic in 1977) - and what I admire is how well Kleiber (and Beethoven, of course!) builds up to this moment throughout the Symphony (they're most obviously there whooping at the end of the First Movement, but the Horns at the top of their register are prominent at salient moments in the whole work). How Kleiber guages these moments, though - each time he brings them a little further forward in the balance until that full-throated phrase at the end.

Orchestral balance is brilliantly judged and produced throughout: conductor, players and the recording engineers together really get the "colours" of Beethoven's score in magnificent sound - Kleiber reads what's there, recognizes the composer's astonishing imagination, matches it with his own and the players bring it to sound. It's depressing how many performances fall at this basic level. The repeats are all there (except that in the second appearance of the Scherzo - 8mins 15secs [the repeat would've added 30secs to the total) - but not just "played through again", re-presenting the Music anew, allowing different details to come through. A pity about the pizzications at the end of the Allegretto - the Movement I have some reservations about, generally; all of them interpretive, not textual - but I think you're right: any modern instrument recording of the work will have its work cut out "bettering" this 38-year-old recording.

I think that sums it up - by no means in the shadow of the legendary Fifth.

[Bryn]

Sorry chaps - I did wander off a bit! But that Barenboim live Berlin concert does look mighty interesting, especially as I do have a liking for the 7th. How do you rate it as an "experience" rather than a clinical analysis.......?

I found it very affecting when I bought it (from the much missed Orchesography of Cecil Court). I have not listened to it recently, but will do so soon.

[visualnickmos]

.....the much missed Orchesography of Cecil Court.....

Yes - I remember that little gem. I got my Solti/Wagner/Ring cycle (CDs) there - for a song, as I remember. That must have been in about 1990(?)

[MickyD]

I used to haunt Orchesography more than any other shop...they were forever selling off top price CDs because they didn't have enough shelf space and I got some amazing bargains in there. It was also unfortunately haunted by David Mellor, who I used to hear boring the pants off the staff at the desk.

[Barbirollians]

It was also unfortunately haunted by David Mellor, who I used to hear boring the pants off the staff at the desk.

Did Antonia de Sancha work there then ?