Topic: Complete Sets of Beethoven's Symphonies

[jlaurson]

I'm putting together all the Complete Sets of Beethoven's Symphonies and would like this to be the thread that collects input, corrections, images, discoveries and the like.

To start out with, here's a list of all those who have recorded the symphonies more than once. * = a set under way but not yet finished.

Abbado
Asahina
Barenboim
Bernstein
Brüggen
Dorati
Fischer*
Furtwängler
Gardiner*
Gielen
Haitink
Iimori
Iwaki
Jansons
Järvi
Jochum
Karajan
Klemperer
Maazel
Mackerras
Masur
Mengelberg
Norrington
Rattle*
Solti
Thielemann
Tilson-Thomas*
Toscanini
Walter

Add Bruno Walter to those who recorded them more than once.

Indeed. NYPh & Columbia Symphony Orchestra, 1942-1953 and 1958-1959 respectively, if I am not mistaken.

[Holden]

Add Bruno Walter to those who recorded them more than once.

[jlaurson]

Walter

Add Bruno Walter to those who recorded them more than once.

Indeed. NYPh & Columbia Symphony Orchestra, 1942-1953 and 1958-1959 respectively, if I am not mistaken.

[jlaurson]

Can it be, that there really are only two Russian Beethoven cycles out there? Fedosseyev and Pletnev? I'm now pushing 180 on my list (which might get reduced once I take piano versions out and potential doubles, like HvK V & VI or Abbado III & IV), and there are oodles of Japanese cycles, old and new, but nothing from the Soviet Union? And only two from Russia? Strange.

What was Melodiya's "standard" Beethoven in the 70s or so? Did they have one cobbled together with different conductors? Or Konwitschny/Dresden from the East German Socialist Brothers? They surely must have had a Beethoven cycle in the catalogue.

Good question. Barshai, as I found out after typing what I typed, was allowed to make a set for Melodiya... all but the 9th. (Surely it wouldn't have been a problem for the Soviets to re-interpret Schiller as an anti-aristocratic proto-communist message? Apparently the reasons for not recording the 9th are described in the booklet of the set that has appeared recently; it did cross my mind that it might have been political.

I suspect you are right.  Konwitschny... Masur... or Kletzki. Fedosseyev's set even claims that it is the first complete Russian-Orchestra-Russian-Conductor set. (Not that I know one that's only got one of either; Sanderling surely isn't Russian; Kakhidze certainly isn't (in any case not complete)...

[jlaurson]

Quiz: Who conducted the most commercially released complete LvB cycles?

Well, Karajan did 4, but I can't imagine you would ask if it was that easy.

Correct. :-)

And Karajan did 5, actually, if you count the first video cycle which is all different performances. The second video cycle seems to be the same as the "Gold" cycle... except for at least the last movement of the Ninth... possibly more.

I have to do some work checking out "Jochum 0", as I've dubbed it... but he might come out with 4 cycles (the first cobbled together from wartime recordings from Hamburg and Berlin). Incidentally: His brother recorded a complete LvB Cycle as well!

[MishaK]

Jens,

I believe Schuricht might have two. There is the Conservatoire Paris cycle on EMI and then there is an earlier 1940s cycle cobbled together from live performances with different German and other orchestras (OSR, BPO, Staatskapelle, Berlin, and again Paris Conservatoire). I have 1-7 which was issued on the Memories Schuricht set. I don't know if an 8 or 9 exist from that period or perhaps later with SWR.

M

[jlaurson]

Jens,

I believe Schuricht might have two. There is the Conservatoire Paris cycle on EMI and then there is an earlier 1940s cycle cobbled together from live performances with different German and other orchestras (OSR, BPO, Staatskapelle, Berlin, and again Paris Conservatoire). I have 1-7 which was issued on the Memories Schuricht set. I don't know if an 8 or 9 exist from that period or perhaps later with SWR.

M

It might take cobbling, but you're onto something. Maybe even three!

For one, Haenssler nearly has one, except spread through their Schuricht Edition and Boxes... all but No.2 & 8

1,3,4,5,6 in Box II,
7,9 in Box I.

Decca can provide No.2  They should have an 8th (also VPO), too, but didn't include it in that set for whatever reason.

The releases on Grammofono / Altus duplicate which others, if any?

[MishaK]

The set on my Memories Schuricht set says:

1 - Städtisches Orchester Berlin - 1941
2 - L'Orchestre de al Suisse Romande - 1946
3 - Berliner Philharmoniker - 1941
4 - Berliner Philharmoniker - 1942
5 - Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris - 1946
6 - Berliner Philharmoniker - 1943
7 - Berliner Philharmoniker - 1937

Right, I forgot the Decca/VPO 2.

[Chris L.]

Why not just create a list of all the complete symphonies with the number of asterisks signifying how many times a specific conductor recorded them? That would be less complicated and more informative then doing two separate lists. Also, cycles that have not been completed shouldn't count. There is no absolute guarantee they will be completed by the same conductor. For example, Gieseking never lived to finish his Beethoven Sonata cycle.

[king ubu]

Gardiner has a complete one ... not sure why the asterisk there - is he working on a second?

[jlaurson]

Gardiner has a complete one ... not sure why the asterisk there - is he working on a second?

Yes, that seems to be the case. On the SDG label. So far: 5 & 7 (Carnegie Hall) and 2 & 8 (Cadogan Hall).

[king ubu]

Now that you mention them, these covers do ring a bell! And in fact, new 7 and 8 by Gardiner .... I guess I should run and buy them! 

[San Antone]

Yes, that seems to be the case. On the SDG label. So far: 5 & 7 (Carnegie Hall) and 2 & 8 (Cadogan Hall).

Live performances, correct?

[jlaurson]

Live performances, correct?

That is correct. Live from Carnegie one, live from Cadogan the other. What other halls with "C" could they hit, to continue the cycle?

[Marc]

Concertgebouw.

[jlaurson]

Concertgebouw.

Good one. Amsterdam or Bruges? :-)
Lots of "Concert Halls", if one counts them... (Soul Arts Center, to mention just one)
Conservatoire Royal de Musique
Cologne Philharmonic (if one is creative)
Conservatoire de Luxembourg
Casa da Música, Porto
Cankar Hall, Lubljana
Bristol's Colston Hall
Centennial Concert Hall (Winnipeg)
California Theatre (San Jose)
...I'm not including small or unrealistically big places (Civic Center Chicago, CBS Studios... the like... though Civic Center Des Moines would be the right size. Just not nice enough.)
Collins Center for the Arts (Maine)
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (Maryland)
...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_concert_halls

[jlaurson]

André Cluytens needs to be added to your list above for complete cycles; a very good one IMHO.

Has he done two? The above list lists only those with multiple or near-multiple or soon-multiple cycles. In my list of complete cycles, I'm nearer 180 than what I've put up here.

[NJ Joe]

Yes, that seems to be the case. On the SDG label. So far: 5 & 7 (Carnegie Hall) and 2 & 8 (Cadogan Hall).

Has anyone heard these? I'm curious...the Gardiner DG set was the first period instrument set I ever bought back when it was released, and it was my favorite set for several years.  But I gradually soured on it and don't care for it much any more.  These days I much prefer Norrington LCP and Immerseel. Just wondering how these performances compare with Gardiner's first cycle.

[aligreto]

Has he done two? The above list lists only those with multiple or near-multiple or soon-multiple cycles. In my list of complete cycles, I'm nearer 180 than what I've put up here.

My apologies; I had misread your original post and have now deleted my post 

[SurprisedByBeauty]

It's been a couple years, but I've finally put the information I have collected into a preliminary shape of an alphabetical index (with links) of every (?) Beethoven Symphony Cycle ever recorded. (And some that aren't really cycles, but you'll pardon that. Tricky cut-off line and I'd rather be too inclusive than exclusive.)



A Survey of Beethoven Symphony Cycles: Alphabetical Index


Any and all help is much appreciated. Obviously many details are not included in this listing, but will in the final form -- such as soloists of the 9th, choirs, and to which extent some cycles are not complete or cobbled together or partially identical.