Recordings that you enjoy: Beethoven Symphony #9

Started by Gurn Blanston, April 26, 2009, 08:39:39 AM

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Gurn Blanston

Today's additions to the list:

Group A (traditional)
Szell - Cleveland Orchestra

Group C (modern with HIP influence)
Norrington - SWR-Stuttgart (forgotten in the original list)

Sure would like to add one to Group B (Period Instruments) now. AFAIK, the only one I don't have is Brüggen. Anyone know any others?

8)
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Holden

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on April 27, 2009, 05:27:38 PM
Yes, Fricsay is excellent. It seems like no conductor can go wrong driving the BP in this work, plus he brings his own style and elegance to this work, which he has in abundance. I am intrigued by your description of the Cluytens. It really is a pity about the baß singer, it is such a crucial part! :(

8)


----------------
Listening to:
Albert de Klerk - André Rieu - Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra - Haydn - Konzert für Orgel und Orchester Nr.3 in C-Dur,  3 Allegro

It wasn't the Cluytens I was describing but the Rene Leibowitz recording on Chesky (originally Readers Digest)
Cheers

Holden

Sergeant Rock

#22
Ninths I own. Favorites in bold:

A

DOHNANYI/CLEVELAND
SZELL/CLEVELAND
MAAZEL/CLEVELAND
KARAJAN/BERLIN PHIL (1962)
KARAJAN/BERLIN PHIL (1977)
SOLTI/CHICAGO
GIULINI/BERLIN PHIL
CELIBIDACHE/MUNICH PHIL
ABENDROTH/RSO LEIPZIG
BARENBOIM/STAATS BERLIN
KLEMPERER/PHILHARMONIA
FURTWÄNGLER/BAYREUTH
BÖHM/VIENNA PHIL (1970)
BERNSTEIN/VIENNA PHIL

B

NORRINGTON/LONDON CLASS
BRÜGGEN/18TH CENTURY

C

HARNONCOURT/COE


Barenboim's is interesting in that he plays it, not as a Classical-era symphony, but a full-blown Romantic.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Valentino

#23
I MUST get that Norrington/LCP.

Until then Gardiner is my preferred (B). I like open textures, and he has great soloists. And choir, of course.

Karajan '77 for (A).

No (C) heard. (Blushes.)
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

Sorin Eushayson

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on April 27, 2009, 05:30:37 PM
Group C (modern with HIP influence)
Norrington - SWR-Stuttgart (forgotten in the original list)

Norrington retracted his previous notions about the tempo in the march as performed in the LCP set and moved much quicker through said passage in this newest cycle from what I understand.  Would you say that, on the whole, Norrington provides a more satisfying experience the second time around?  Of course, the second try he's missing one crucial component:
period instruments!!!  ;D  

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: Sorin Eushayson on April 28, 2009, 03:35:50 AM
Norrington retracted his previous notions about the tempo in the march as performed in the LCP set and moved much quicker through said passage in this newest cycle from what I understand.

He shouldn't have second-guessed himself. He got the tempo just right the first try.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

karlhenning

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 28, 2009, 02:04:59 AM
Ninths I own. Favorites in bold:

A

DOHNANYI/CLEVELAND
SZELL/CLEVELAND
MAAZEL/CLEVELAND
KARAJAN/BERLIN PHIL (1962)
KARAJAN/BERLIN PHIL (1977)
SOLTI/CHICAGO
GIULINI/BERLIN PHIL
CELIBIDACHE/MUNICH PHIL
ABENDROTH/RSO LEIPZIG
BARENBOIM/STAATS BERLIN
KLEMPERER/PHILHARMONIA
FURTWÄNGLER/BAYREUTH
BÖHM/VIENNA PHIL (1970)
BERNSTEIN/VIENNA PHIL

B

NORRINGTON/LONDON CLASS
BRÜGGEN/18TH CENTURY

C

HARNONCOURT/COE


Barenboim's is interesting in that he plays it, not as a Classical-era symphony, but a full-blown Romantic.

Most interesting, Sarge.

Once on a time, I owned the Norrington. (I mean that purely informationally, not as comment.  Used to own his Symphonie fantastique, which was one of his first recordings, I think . . . and hearing that one over the radio illumined the piece for me.)

Sergeant Rock

#27
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on April 28, 2009, 04:00:15 AM
Most interesting, Sarge.

Once on a time, I owned the Norrington. (I mean that purely informationally, not as comment.  Used to own his Symphonie fantastique, which was one of his first recordings, I think . . . and hearing that one over the radio illumined the piece for me.)

I don't love everything about it--you notice my collection is heavily tipped toward traditional (Gurn's word) performances. But as an attempt to perform the symphony at Beethoven's specified speeds (as controversial and debatable as that is), I think it works wonderfully. I'm especially fond of the Finale. The march is actually a march and the presto at the end isn't so fast as to obscure the timpani rhythm in the final bars (it's often just a blurred rumble at the more frenetic speeds conductors seem to favor).

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

karlhenning

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 28, 2009, 04:24:15 AM
I don't love everything about it--you notice my collection is heavily tipped toward traditional (Gurn's word) performances. But as an attempt to perform the symphony at Beethoven's specified speeds (as controversial and debatable as that is), I think it works wonderfully. I'm especially fond of the Finale. The march is actually a march and the presto at the end isn't so fast as to obscure the timpani rhythm in the final bars (it's a often just a blurred rumble at the more frenetic speeds conductors seem to favor).

I appreciate all that, indeed, Sarge.

(I also took my rambling tangent here, FWIW.)

Brian

Quote from: Sorin Eushayson on April 28, 2009, 03:35:50 AM
Norrington retracted his previous notions about the tempo in the march as performed in the LCP set and moved much quicker through said passage in this newest cycle from what I understand.  Would you say that, on the whole, Norrington provides a more satisfying experience the second time around?  Of course, the second try he's missing one crucial component:
period instruments!!!  ;D  
I think Norrington's SWR is better than the LCP, but that's from limited exposure to the LCP set (disliked the first few things I heard enough to shelve the rest).

FideLeo

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 28, 2009, 03:57:27 AM
He shouldn't have second-guessed himself. He got the tempo just right the first try.

Did he? The reason Norrington retracted his earlier interpretation of the march in IV. movement: he misread Beethoven's metronome marking and played the passage at half speed.:o

QuoteBeethoven sent the metronome marking to Schott on 13 October
1826.  Presumably he did not carefully read the accompanying letter, written
out by his nephew Karl.  The marking for the march should have been
84=dotted half-note instead of 84=dotted quarter, as written.

original RCMR message by Mark K. Ehlert
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

Dr. Dread

None of the recordings I've heard completely satisfy. I was told to get Bernstein, so I got all of his but none of them impressed me overly much. Mostly the performers of the 9th drop the ball in the fourth movement. Will continue the search at some point...

Brian

Quote from: Mn Dave on April 28, 2009, 09:09:11 AM
None of the recordings I've heard completely satisfy. I was told to get Bernstein, so I got all of his but none of them impressed me overly much. Mostly the performers of the 9th drop the ball in the fourth movement. Will continue the search at some point...
Curious, what sort of finale are you looking for, or what traits should a great one have? Somebody might be able to think of one, or if not we can find out how Maestro Dave would conduct the Ninth...  0:)

Dr. Dread

Quote from: Brian on April 28, 2009, 09:20:32 AM
Curious, what sort of finale are you looking for, or what traits should a great one have? Somebody might be able to think of one, or if not we can find out how Maestro Dave would conduct the Ninth...  0:)

You're putting me on the spot, eh? Hmm. The ones I don't like tend to be dull or sloppy.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Mn Dave on April 28, 2009, 09:37:26 AM
You're putting me on the spot, eh? Hmm. The ones I don't like tend to be dull or sloppy.

Just a suggestion then, Dave. You might try Fricsay/Berlin. It's a DGOriginal, nice mastering, and he handles the whole last movement very nicely indeed. I'm no expert, just sayin'... :)

8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Dr. Dread

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on April 28, 2009, 09:46:31 AM
Just a suggestion then, Dave. You might try Fricsay/Berlin. It's a DGOriginal, nice mastering, and he handles the whole last movement very nicely indeed. I'm no expert, just sayin'... :)

8)

Yeah, I've heard of this being recommended before. I will wish-list it. Thanks.

karlhenning


Holden

Quote from: Valentino on April 28, 2009, 03:33:15 AM
I MUST get that Norrington/LCP.

I like open textures, and he has great soloists. And choir, of course.


Which is why the Fricsay is my favourite
Cheers

Holden

Valentino

We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

Valentino

#39
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on April 28, 2009, 11:35:29 AM
That's Langgaard! Sfærernes Musik . . . .
;D ;D ;D

Deep and lofty. At the same time.

---

Back to those 84 dotted halves or quarters per minute in the IV Froh! march.
A friendly person lent me a copy of Norrington/LCP, and the section is just to slow. It doesn't make musical sense to me, just like Klemperer's 1970 Eroica-scherzo.
If Norrington had got it right one could still make a good military march by marching one step to the bar instead of two, right? And the music would sound something like the french marching band in the movie Waterloo. That could most definitely have been Beethoven's intention.
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma