Beethoven's 8th Symphony: Your Opinions

[edashtav]

"Bombastic" in the 5th or the 9th? I prescribe HIPPs, period instruments and Chamber Orchestras and small choruses...
But I think you are already taking that medicine so...there may still be hope.

Gosh, I'm surprised that the Good Doctor Wilson's prescription contains no mention re the nature of the soloists - bel canto voices reared on free-range, organic exercises?

[Bryn]

"Bombastic" in the 5th or the 9th? I prescribe HIPPs, period instruments and Chamber Orchestras and small choruses...
But I think you are already taking that medicine so...there may still be hope.

I think you will find that Mr Barrett is quite familiar with such forces in Beethoven, though it's worth bearing in mind that Mackerras switched from the SCO to the Philharmonia for the 9th in his EIF Beethoven symphonies survey as recorded for Radio 3 and issued by Hyperion.

[Conchis]

I think Conchis certainly has, unless "the final movement has to be the ugliest, most ungainly thing that LvB ever wrote. I'm astonished he put his name to it" is what counts as damning with faint praise... well, not everyone can like everything. I wouldn't usually say the 8th is my favourite Beethoven symphony, but one of the things about Beethoven that I sometimes (not always) find a bit hard to take (which is why I listen to his string quartets far more often than to his orchestral music) is his bombastic tendency, and there's very little of that in the 8th, so I can imagine times when I'd much rather hear it than say the 5th or 9th. Actually there aren't too many occasions when I really feel like hearing the 9th, if truth be told.

Yes, I thought I'd been unambiguous: I dislike the work and have never heard a convincing performance of it. In fact, Hanslick's comment about the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (a movement I also dislike) applies even more to the finale of LvB 8, I'd say.

[Barbirollians]

I would put in a word for Schmidt Isserstedt’s rather big performance of this little symphony.

[pastoralguy]

I think you will find that Mr Barrett is quite familiar with such forces in Beethoven, though it's worth bearing in mind that Mackerras switched from the SCO to the Philharmonia for the 9th in his EIF Beethoven symphonies survey as recorded for Radio 3 and issued by Hyperion.

Actually, if I may be so bold as to add some 'insider knowledge', Sir Charles was scheduled to conduct the 9th with the Philharmonia and the Festival Chorus as a single event. However, the SCO found themselves underemployed during that year's EIF so it was suggested that Sir Charles do a cycle with them with the concerts starting at 17.00 and running for an hour. The SCO was never contracted to 'do' the Ninth since that concert was already scheduled. I went to all those concerts except the 9th! (I also know that Sir Charles daughter died the day of the 9th and his wife decided not to tell him until after the concert). I was lucky enough to meet and play for him on several occasions and he was a real gentleman.

[pastoralguy]

?..of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (a movement I also dislike) applies even more to the finale of LvB 8, I'd say.

Even the end with that fabulous bit for the first fiddles which none of us could play in the tempi set by the late, great Mr. Henryk Szeryng?!

[cloughie]

Even the end with that fabulous bit for the first fiddles which none of us could play in the tempi set by the late, great Mr. Henryk Szeryng?!

Was that in the BSO Munch recording?

[pastoralguy]

Was that in the BSO Munch recording?

SNO. 1981. Usher Hall Edinburgh and Glasgow City Halls.