Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

[RebLem]

I just finished listening to a relatively new cycle of the Beethoven Symphonies recorded live in concert in 2002 by the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR conducted by Sir Roger Norrington, its music director. It has been issued on the hanssler label.  I found most of the performances disappointing, but two exceptional performanes stand out: the Fifth and the Ninth. 

This is Norrignton's second go round in this repertoire.  The first, with the London Classical Players, was recorded for EMI at their Abbey Road Studios in London, 1986-88.  The ensemble was a period instruments ensemble, and those recordings were hailed by reviewers as pathmaking efforts in Beethoven interpretation.  To my ears, though, they seemed to be good but fairly unremarkable performances from an interpretive standpoint.  This new set, however, is with a modern symphony orchestra but, paradoxically, its two specially remarkable performances present some novel and very  interesting interpretive insights. 

Norrington's new Fifth has what seems the fastest tempoed first movement I have ever heard; it is fleet and magnificent, and the last movement, too, is worked up into a fine fettle--not quite as orgasmic as Fritz Reiner or Carlos Kleiber, but pretty impressive, nevertheless. 

Norrington's new Ninth, though, is one of the very greatest performances of this work ever committed for posterity.  The whole work times out at 61'28", the last twenty seconds or so of which is applause, so this is one of the faster ones on record.  I am not going to go through my entire collection checking on speeds, but to the best of my recollection, only the Gardiner and Reiner recordings are faster.

The first movement is fleet, but still muscular, not at all slight.  The scherzo has stronger, more pointed accents than most performances, and the tihrd movement is very unusual.  It is probably the third movement which differs most from traditional practice.  Most performances seem like somnolent reveries; Norrington's is full of excitement with lots of slight and a few notable tempo shifts, which help sustain interest.  Franz-Josef Selig is a true bass, not a bass baritone or baritone, and he is perfectly matched by Camilla Nylund, soprano, Iris Vermillion, alto, and Jonas Kaufmann, tenor.  On its first mention, the word "Kuss" receives special emphasis, as it does in a few other recordings, especially those of Mengelberg and Dorati, but later mentions of the word do not receive the same emphasis.  In the Turkish music section, the horn is set off from the percussion in an way that provides a more pronounced contrast than I find in any other performance.  The vocal quartet members are in nearly perfect balance with one another, and they as a group with the chorus as well,   This  leads to a finale which is truly a bravura performance by all concerned.  The finale does not accellerate quite as much here as in most recordings, but it does accelerate, as Dorati does not; Mengelberg actually  slows down for the last five or six bars.  Altogether, it is one of the truly great Ninths, along with Tennstedt, the Klemperer studio recording, the Toscanini performance and that of George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra.  Highly  recommended.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Has anyone noticed that the opening of Op 131 starts with the DSCH motiv?

The G# upbeat aside, the next 4 notes are B# C# A G#, precisely the same interval as D Eb C B (DSCH)?

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Has anyone noticed that the opening of Op 131 starts with the DSCH motiv?

The G# upbeat aside, the next 4 notes are B# C# A G#, precisely the same interval as D Eb C B (DSCH)?

OMG. Time travel is possible! 

[Jo498]

Beethoven uses variants of that "four tone" motive of two notes a minor or major second apart with a larger interval (sixth or seventh) in between in op.130-133. And he actually used a very similar one already in the c minor string trio op.9, even with a somewhat similar effect as in the finale of op.131, namely with a sombre almost choral-like character.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I have been listening to Op 111 a bit lately. One interesting interpretation is Backhaus (you can watch it on Youtube). He takes the second mvt at a tempo that is is extraordinarily fast. The opening is fast (no repeats either) and last couple of variations he has to be twice as fast as anyone else. But it works. Just to show what a wide range of interpretations work for Beethoven.

[Mandryka]

I have been listening to Op 111 a bit lately. One interesting interpretation is Backhaus (you can watch it on Youtube). He takes the second mvt at a tempo that is is extraordinarily fast. The opening is fast (no repeats either) and last couple of variations he has to be twice as fast as anyone else. But it works. Just to show what a wide range of interpretations work for Beethoven.

Yvonne Lefebvre takes less time than Backhaus, Maria Yudina is about the same in terms of elapsed time - she's a favourite of mine.

Even as far back as 1937 Backhaus takes the theme with a slower basic pulse than the first variation. I had thought that Schnabel was the first to do this, maybe I was wrong, I can't remember when Schnabel made his first recording of op 111.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Yvonne Lefebvre takes less time than Backhaus, Maria Yudina is about the same in terms of elapsed time - she's a favourite of mine.

Even as far back as 1937 Backhaus takes the theme with a slower basic pulse than the first variation. I had thought that Schnabel was the first to do this, maybe I was wrong, I can't remember when Schnabel made his first recording of op 111.

Thanks, Lefebure's Op 111 is not on youtube but Yudina is. Yes a very individualistic approach - steely and objective, almost makes the music sound like it just came off Beethoven's pen. Listening to her and someone like Pogorelich back to back it hardly seems like the same piece of music.

[George]

Yvonne Lefebvre takes less time than Backhaus, Maria Yudina is about the same in terms of elapsed time - she's a favourite of mine.

Last time I compared the dozen or so recordings of Op. 111 that I have, Yudina came out on top.

[Madiel]

Does anyone know/have a complete recording of King Stephen and/or The Ruin of Athens? Not just the overtures, but all the music.

Apologies if I've asked this before, which is quite possible, as I tend to be curious about this kind of thing. I imagine that there's some "complete edition" that has a recording, but apart from that...

[Karl Henning]

I wonder if our Gurn might know . . . .

[Madiel]

I've found evidence of a recording on the Hungaroton label conducted by Geza Oberfrank.



I did also find signs of another recording, but only on vinyl.

[Florestan]

Does anyone know/have a complete recording of King Stephen and/or The Ruin of Athens? Not just the overtures, but all the music.

Apologies if I've asked this before, which is quite possible, as I tend to be curious about this kind of thing. I imagine that there's some "complete edition" that has a recording, but apart from that...

I have them both in this:



The Ruins of Athens, op. 113
Berliner Philharmoniker, RIAS Kammerchor, various soloists, Bernhard Klee

King Stephen or Hungary's First Benefactor, Op.117
Myung Whun Chung, Coro e Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

[Karl Henning]

Well done, Andrei.

[Madiel]

I have them both in this:



The Ruins of Athens, op. 113
Berliner Philharmoniker, RIAS Kammerchor, various soloists, Bernhard Klee

King Stephen or Hungary's First Benefactor, Op.117
Myung Whun Chung, Coro e Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Thanks. The separate volume 3 might be an option.

[prémont]

Last time I compared the dozen or so recordings of Op. 111 that I have...

Heavily understated, I suppose. 

[George]

Heavily understated, I suppose. 

What are people's favorite recordings of Op. 129, Rage Over A Lost Penny?

[Florestan]

Thanks. The separate volume 3 might be an option.

You're welcome. Be advised, though, that volume 3 has five discs. 

[Madiel]

I know. I did look up the contents before saying that.

[Brian]

Apropos of orfeo's question: RIGHT NOW Naxos is recording Leif Segerstam and the Turku Philharmonic for a new series of Beethoven's complete incidental music and other rare odds and ends.
https://www.naxos.com/news/default.asp?op=1368&displayMenu=Naxos_News&type=2

[Madiel]

Ooooohhhhhh.

Thank you for the heads up.