Beethoven 9 at 200

[Petrushka]

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the first performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Vienna on May 7 1824.

If anyone is interested, the Austrian Radio are broadcasting a performance tonight at 6.30 BST (7.30 Vienna time) live from the Musikverein, Vienna.

Julia Kleiter (soprano), Marianne Crebassa (mezzo-soprano), Michael Spyres (tenor), Gunter Groissbock (bass)
Wiener Singverein
Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor: Riccardo Muti

https://oe1.orf.at/programm/20240507#757027/200-Jahre-Neunte-Symphonie

[Roger Webb]

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the first performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Vienna on May 7 1824.

If anyone is interested, the Austrian Radio are broadcasting a performance tonight at 6.30 BST (7.30 Vienna time) live from the Musikverein, Vienna.

Julia Kleiter (soprano), Marianne Crebassa (mezzo-soprano), Michael Spyres (tenor), Gunter Groissbock (bass)
Wiener Singverein
Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor: Riccardo Muti

https://oe1.orf.at/programm/20240507...unte-Symphonie

Busy in Vienna tonight as the last movt. of the below perf. comes from there also....but much later, as the first movt.(from Leipzig) doesn't start 'til the unusual time of 20.39 (BST)

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/119591-001-A/beethoven-symphony-no-9/

[Barbirollians]

That sounds very gimmicky. I am going to listen to the LUcerne/Philharmonia /Furtwangler .

[Roger Webb]

That sounds very gimmicky. I am going to listen to the LUcerne/Philharmonia /Furtwangler .

Yes, perhaps, but I rather fancy watching a perf of the 9th tonight - this is being screened across Europe.....whereas the BBC on its main channel has another episode in the drawn-out and tedious selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest!

[Petrushka]

I agree that the 'one conductor per movement' performance is a gimmick. I'll be listening to the Muti performance and if I feel so inclined might watch the 1977 Karajan DVD as well.

[Roger Webb]

I agree that the 'one conductor per movement' performance is a gimmick. I'll be listening to the Muti performance and if I feel so inclined might watch the 1977 Karajan DVD as well.

Is that the one directed by Humphrey Burton? Or was it Clouzot? I think I've only seen clips of it - the mid seventies Karajan is probably the best LP recordings he did....my set dates from then, 45 years old and they still play like new.

[Petrushka]

The Muti was a most enjoyable performance, very much as one would expect from the Vienna Philharmonic but there's nothing wrong with that.

I'll put the Karajan DVD away for another day. It's the one directed by Humphrey Burton and, for me, it's easily the best video recording that Karajan did alongside his 1979 Bruckner 8 given in St Florian. The Beethoven dates from December 31 1977.

[silvestrione]

The Muti was a most enjoyable performance, very much as one would expect from the Vienna Philharmonic but there's nothing wrong with that.

I'll put the Karajan DVD away for another day. It's the one directed by Humphrey Burton and, for me, it's easily the best video recording that Karajan did alongside his 1979 Bruckner 8 given in St Florian. The Beethoven dates from December 31 1977.

For me that Karajan 9 is spoilt by the way he augments the orchestra, with extra winds and even a second timpanist! I much prefer the 1967 film (by Clouzot, I assume?), where the entrance of the bass is spell-binding ( or should that be spell-breaking!).

Tonight I went for Eugen Jochum and the BRSO, from 1957, a performance singled out by Rob Cowan in the 'Beethoven year' Gramophone special, as a little-known and underrated one. It's terrific.

[Roger Webb]

For me that Karajan 9 is spoilt by the way he augments the orchestra, with extra winds and even a second timpanist! I much prefer the 1967 film (by Clouzot, I assume?), where the entrance of the bass is spell-binding ( or should that be spell-breaking!).

Tonight I went for Eugen Jochum and the BRSO, from 1957, a performance singled out by Rob Cowan in the 'Beethoven year' Gramophone special, as a little-known and underrated one. It's terrific.

Just wasted my evening watching the Arte broadcast from Leipzig, Paris, Milan and eventually, what I think may have been a live bit, part of the last movt from the Konzerthaus Vienna - the link failed just before it started.

Who thought up this mix-n-match 9th.

[richardfinegold]

I streamed 2 recordings today. The first was Rattle and the BPO on Apples “Spatial Audio”. It was quite good and while I didn’t detect any special sound effects sounded excellent via AirPlay. I could quite happily enjoy this on any given night without it displacing any favorites.
OTOH Ivan Fischer lead the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam heard on the Symphony Live app via AirPlay was a major disappointment. It was cautious, phrasing that didn’t transcend bar lines, and sounded clueless. Fischer is a conductor that seems to be getting worse as he ages, and this muffled sounding recording is utterly forgettable

[smittims]

I had high hopes of Simon Rattle in this symphony, but I've aways been a little disappointed. Yes, it's always a good performance but he doesn't seem to scale the heights for me. I've even wondered if our age , and the conductors born and brought up in it, can have the particular view of things necessary to produce the epic effect it needs.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I streamed 2 recordings today. The first was Rattle and the BPO on Apples “Spatial Audio”. It was quite good and while I didn’t detect any special sound effects sounded excellent via AirPlay. I could quite happily enjoy this on any given night without it displacing any favorites.
OTOH Ivan Fischer lead the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam heard on the Symphony Live app via AirPlay was a major disappointment. It was cautious, phrasing that didn’t transcend bar lines, and sounded clueless. Fischer is a conductor that seems to be getting worse as he ages, and this muffled sounding recording is utterly forgettable

I agree re Fischer - a conductor that Radio 3 that lavishes with attention and praise but is no better or worse than many others. There was a good Beethoven 9 on Classical Live yesterday performed by the Berlin Radio Symphony cond Karina Kanellakis. A conductor I’d not heard of at all.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I had high hopes of Simon Rattle in this symphony, but I've aways been a little disappointed. Yes, it's always a good performance but he doesn't seem to scale the heights for me. I've even wondered if our age , and the conductors born and brought up in it, can have the particular view of things necessary to produce the epic effect it needs.

Isn’t it the ultimate challenge? Hugely demanding first movement musically and intellectually , hectic second that can sound repetitive, tiring slow movement with some very long string lines to sustain and then just trying to keep it together in the final with a four soloists and a choir who’ve been watching you wave your arms for 45 mins or so. So many pitfalls in that final movement- like the fugue and the often panicky sounding closing bars.

[richardfinegold]

Isn’t it the ultimate challenge? Hugely demanding first movement musically and intellectually , hectic second that can sound repetitive, tiring slow movement with some very long string lines to sustain and then just trying to keep it together in the final with a four soloists and a choir who’ve been watching you wave your arms for 45 mins or so. So many pitfalls in that final movement- like the fugue and the often panicky sounding closing bars.

Agree with the above and with Smittims. The recent Savall record appears to buck the trend as it has a proper amount of drama without exaggeration and the players sound committed. It might help that despite his age I doubt that Savall has performed it very often and there is a sense of discovery there. The same applies to his Schubert 8/9

[Alison]

I was looking for an unplayed Beethoven 9 in my collection and landed up with Antal Dorati and the Royal Philharmonic. Interrupted near the beginning, I hope to listen in full tonight!