Our Summer BAL no. 22: Beethoven's Fourth Symphony

[Alison]

Why ain't this symphony been done before ?

I Have always loved the slow/tense introduction and bursting allegro feature of the classical symphony and we surely have the summit of the form in this work.

Favourite versions, prejudices, recording quality issues all have their natural home here.

Go for it, discuss.

[Barbirollians]

The 1962 Karajan is a favourite of mine - others - the live Carlos Kleiber on Orfeo and Gunter Wand's late RCA recording.

Not forgetting the delightful BPO/Cluytens .

[Bryn]

For 20th century traditional, yes, Cluytens (far, far preferable to Herbie with the same orchestra a little later, to my ears), but for me the 'winner' has to be Krivine. The YouTube performance is a later one than those used for the CD issue but it gives a fairly good idea:

[gurnemanz]

I like this coupling:

[akiralx]

The 1962 Karajan is a favourite of mine.

Yes! This is perhaps Karajan's finest Beethoven record - he said that the Fourth was the hardest symphony to bring off. A really wonderful account. I also like the Bruno Walter Columbia SO recording.

[salymap]

I prefer LvB's even numbered symphonies and no 4 ties with no 8 as my favourite. I have Karajan playing them and, as someone said, the 4th has that wonderful opening.

Must play it again soon.

[BBMmk2]

Per chance amazon, bless them sent one of their emails to me and advertised the Clutens LvB cycle.N ow, I wasnt going to buy anymore LvB recordings but this one has always stood out amongst the others, from what other peoploe have said. So I may just, at a price just under a tenner!

[Nick Armstrong]

Carlos Kleiber, Concertgebouw, DVD. The transition to the main first movement allegro vivace is a real 'hair on the back of the neck' moment and the rest is pretty wonderful too.

That 'moment' is from c. 3m 30s here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3-jlAamGCE

[pastoralguy]

I'm not sure what the connection is but I always think of Anna Pavlova whenever I hear the opening of this symphony.

Wonderful symphony!
In fact, the first recording I ever bought of it, Karajan from 1977, is about to released with its original artwork when the mammoth 1970's volume of Karajan's is released on Monday!

[verismissimo]

Temporarily unable to play LPs, so I've been re-listening to two fourths I have on CD - Gewandhaus/Konwitschny from 1963 and Tonhalle/Zinman from 1998.

Enjoy both. Zinman so much swifter in all four movements.

Great thread, Alison.

[cloughie]

Temporarily unable to play LPs, so I've been re-listening to two fourths I have on CD - Gewandhaus/Konwitschny from 1963 and Tonhalle/Zinman from 1998.

Enjoy both. Zinman so much swifter in all four movements.

Great thread, Alison.

There are many good ones - agree about the Konwitschny, also like BPO Jochum and VPO Schmidt-Isserstedt.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I like this coupling:

The LMP shelves also sport VPO/Bohm c1972, the standard PO/Klemperer, LCP/ Norrington, BBCPO/Noseda (BBC MM), LPO/Weingartner 1933, NDRSO/Wand 2001, CO/ Szell.

And something perhaps a little more recherche, Berlin SSO/ Pfitzner 1928, whose timings in ii and iv are spot on Walter's. Any suggested connection?

[verismissimo]

Temporarily unable to play LPs...

So I can't listen to: BBCSO/Toscanini, Columbia/Walter, VPO/Schmidt-Isserstedt, Gewandhaus/Masur. Maybe others...

Quite a loss!

[amateur51]

So I can't listen to: BBCSO/Toscanini, Columbia/Walter, VPO/Schmidt-Isserstedt, Gewandhaus/Masur. Maybe others...

Quite a loss!

I had VPO/Schmidt-Isserstedt on LP too - when is this set going to be (re?)released on CD?

[Petrushka]

This symphony has always held a special place in my affections as it was the first symphony by anybody that I heard live (RPO/Kempe, 1972) I recently bought the CD of Kempe's Munich PO account of this wonderful score set down at roughly the same time but my all time favourite just has to be Karajan's 1962 recording. Simply perfect