Recordings that you enjoy: Beethoven Symphony #9

[Gurn Blanston]

This morning, on the first actually nice day of spring here in East Texas, I sandwiched this around my pleasant time on the golf course;



I like Dausgaard's take on this work. He has a relatively small orchestra, and thus a lot of clarity in this recording. Tempi are clearly HIP-influenced and short of pulling out the notes to check, I believe he uses the Del Mar score. This clearly is in line with the new standard for the 9th, other than the remaining old-time conductors, the current crop are all trying to be the King of the 9th with versions that sound just like this. Given my omnivorous appetite for this work, these suit me too. And this one is right up there!   

[Pat B]

Unfortunately, those are two that I really don't have an interest in.

Obviously a source of great entertainment for me, and probably no one else.

Okay, I'll stop now.

First impression of Immerseel '99 is excellent. My other HIP versions are Herreweghe '99 (also only one listen) and Gardiner. The Anima Eterna string sections are 9-9-7-7-6, about the same size as the others, and this has the clarity that I expect from an HIP recording. The overall sound, though, seems grander, right from the beginning. (I don't know whether that comes from the performance, the engineering, or my mood.) The finale is taken slower than I expected but never drags. For now this is my top HIP choice among the 3.

Unfortunately I can't say whether it's worth seeking out for those who already have his later version, since I don't have that one yet. It's on my list, but there are a lot of things I need more than another Beethoven cycle.

[Gurn Blanston]

Obviously a source of great entertainment for me, and probably no one else.

Okay, I'll stop now.

I have 2 Bernstein's from opposite ends of the interpretive spectrum. And, he didn't change the words...

Stoki is before my time. I do have a fair number of historic recordings, but I don't really like them, I just have them for reference reasons. I don't know to what extent this is cause and effect or else coincidence, but the stereo/high fidelity era anticipated the change in performance style by hardly a year or two. And performances from that time forward are the ones that I am far more interested in, simply because I enjoy listening to them a lot more. I'll still get an historic disk from time to time, and will probably end up with Stokowski one of these days. I actually have the Bernstein on VHS tape, but only watched it once. Just like having the Neeme Jarvi/Detroit Symphony Mahler version/destruction of the 9th. I have that on VHS too, but not in my database!     

First impression of Immerseel '99 is excellent. My other HIP versions are Herreweghe '99 (also only one listen) and Gardiner. The Anima Eterna string sections are 9-9-7-7-6, about the same size as the others, and this has the clarity that I expect from an HIP recording. The overall sound, though, seems grander, right from the beginning. (I don't know whether that comes from the performance, the engineering, or my mood.) The finale is taken slower than I expected but never drags. For now this is my top HIP choice among the 3.

Unfortunately I can't say whether it's worth seeking out for those who already have his later version, since I don't have that one yet. It's on my list, but there are a lot of things I need more than another Beethoven cycle.

Excellent, thanks for that. It does seem like a disk I would like to have, although the price would have to flatten out a bit. You can probably pick up the Zig-Zag Immerseel for a reasonable price. I got it for under $20 in excellent condition. That's as cheap as buying the 9th alone, if it had been offered that way.

[Gurn Blanston]

...and in fact, I listened to one of those Bernstein 9ths this morning;



This approach from the younger Bernstein differs considerably from his later version with Wiener Philharmoniker. Not least the tempi, much swifter, almost too much so in parts of the finale. Even Gardiner doesn't sound quite a hurried as the NYPO that day! Overall though, they hold it together very nicely. I like the 3rd movement particularly, he brings out the pathos without getting mawkish about it.

One place that they are lacking though is in the vocals. The tempi eat up the chorus, who end up sounding a bit at wits end trying to keep it together, and some of the voices of the soloists (the tenor in particular) are just not pleasing to my ear. Not that they sing badly, they don't. Just the sound quality of the voices themselves  seems strange. So it goes. 

Maybe next week the Wieners.

[Gurn Blanston]

Funny sometimes, how you can live along with a well-known and admired person, and not even know him/her well enough to have an opinion yourself on how that person lives up to fame. Such a case with me has been Colin Davis, who, until his recent death, wasn't a blip on my radar, and it occurred to me that I didn't even have a single recording of his. Amazing but true, after 23 years of listening  he was still just a name to me. In order to rectify that, I decided to cast about for a 9th, since it would be the ultimate test, IMO. A friend in England sent me the single disk, since only the complete cycle was readily available here, and I had a first listen today;



Of course, one can't possibly give an in-depth review after a single listening (despite the fact that I've read many negative reviews about disks that hadn't been heard at all yet, but that's a different issue ), but I can easily say that I was remarkably pleased with the overall impression it left on me. Recorded in 1985, and with a very fine Bavarian orchestra, the playing is, in the main, quite super. Davis seems to be influenced more by his modern contemporaries than by the tradition he inherited, and so the tempi are brisk, never ponderous and with a fleet feeling that still allows for a spacious atmosphere. The recitativo for the double-basses in the beginning of the finale does drag a bit, but they enunciate it well, so perhaps it is by direction. The soloists are really quite impressive, and the chorus more than holds its own. Helen Donath was the only familiar name on the soloist list, but Simon Estes singing bass/baritone has a fine voice and hit his 'O Freund...' intro spot on.

So, in sum, a recording which I shall return to soon, and which I would commend to you for a very pleasing hour+.   0:)

[TheGSMoeller]

This morning, on the first actually nice day of spring here in East Texas, I sandwiched this around my pleasant time on the golf course;



I like Dausgaard's take on this work. He has a relatively small orchestra, and thus a lot of clarity in this recording. Tempi are clearly HIP-influenced and short of pulling out the notes to check, I believe he uses the Del Mar score. This clearly is in line with the new standard for the 9th, other than the remaining old-time conductors, the current crop are all trying to be the King of the 9th with versions that sound just like this. Given my omnivorous appetite for this work, these suit me too. And this one is right up there!   

I've become completely enchanted by Dausgaard's 3rd and 6th from this series. I've listened to bits of this 9th, but I see no reason why I wouldn't hold it in the same regard as the others. Thanks for the comments, Gurn.

[Gurn Blanston]

I've become completely enchanted by Dausgaard's 3rd and 6th from this series. I've listened to bits of this 9th, but I see no reason why I wouldn't hold it in the same regard as the others. Thanks for the comments, Gurn.

Greg, yes, most of the comments that I've read have really praised this cycle. If he attacks the 3rd like he does the 9th, I know I would like it too.

[TheGSMoeller]

Not sure where to post this, thought it would be appropriate here. A new iPad app is available that is dedicated to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. I've downloaded it but haven't had a chance to dive into it. I'll report more later.

[Gurn Blanston]

That looks pretty cool, Greg. Not sure it would do much for me on my phone, but on my Kindle Fire it would be a nice time passer. Maybe they will come out with an Android version.

[Gurn Blanston]

Today we listen to a seldom heard version, the Dresden Philharmonic / Herbert Kegel, recorded in 1982.



There are a great lot of recordings of this work out there that are right up the middle. The memorable ones seem to be so because of something that is outstandingly good, or conversely, outstandingly bad. But most are neither. This is one of those. It is very nicely performed in a middle-of-the-road way, playing and singing, including soloists, are impeccable, but nothing risky or different. What you would expect from Cold War Era East Germany, I guess. It is nicely pleasant to listen to though, and so I am.

[TheGSMoeller]

That looks pretty cool, Greg. Not sure it would do much for me on my phone, but on my Kindle Fire it would be a nice time passer. Maybe they will come out with an Android version.

Here's the catch, it's a free download for basically a preview of what the $13.99 version will offer. 4 full versions of the piece with a score to follow along with and interviews with musicians and conductors. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, mainly because I already own 5 versions and have access to the score.
But it's still a neat concept. This company is responsible for the wonderfully immersive "Orchestra" app with Esa Pekka Salonon.

[Gurn Blanston]

Here's the catch, it's a free download for basically a preview of what the $13.99 version will offer. 4 full versions of the piece with a score to follow along with and interviews with musicians and conductors. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, mainly because I already own 5 versions and have access to the score.
But it's still a neat concept. This company is responsible for the wonderfully immersive "Orchestra" app with Esa Pekka Salonon.

I love to follow a score while I listen, if it has some little helper to keep me up. Several years ago I ran across some stuff on the net that let you listen to a whole list of music, and it ran the score along with a pointer to show where it was at. I have a big time with that, made me wish there was a way to make it easy to do yourself. I can follow the 9th, but only because I know it so well.  

$14 is pretty reasonable for 4 9ths plus the extras....

[TheGSMoeller]

I love to follow a score while I listen, if it has some little helper to keep me up. Several years ago I ran across some stuff on the net that let you listen to a whole list of music, and it ran the score along with a pointer to show where it was at. I have a big time with that, made me wish there was a way to make it easy to do yourself. I can follow the 9th, but only because I know it so well.  

$14 is pretty reasonable for 4 9ths plus the extras....

The 4 performances are Fricsay/Berlin 1958, Karajan/Berlin 1962, Berstein/Vienna 1979 and Gardiner/Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique 1992.
The Bernstein is the only one that shows video excerpts with the preview download, so I'm not sure if they all do with the full purchase.

Touch Press is the name of the company and their layout is very well done. Here's a screenshot of the Orchestra app, and another from their Beethoven 9th app..

[Edit] No pics  was trying to post them from my iPad but Tapatalk has been really buggy for me lately.

[Opus106]

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=66155360

[TheGSMoeller]

Cool, thanks, Nav. That perfectly displays the layout.

[Gurn Blanston]

That is very nice indeed. I have all 4 of those performances anyway, and they are all first rate. Spread out stylistically, except Karajan/Fricsay.

That is just the sort of score display I was talking about. Very utile sort of thing. Anyway, not something to make me go buy an iPad, but if they do it in Android....   

[Opus106]

Touch Press is the name of the company and their layout is very well done.

A producer of NOVA and Stephen Wolfram are co-founders, no surprise. I see that they already have many science-oriented apps (aimed at children, or so they suggest at a glance). Assuming they continue further, one can expect great educational tools from them.

[Gurn Blanston]

Last week was unduly busy for me, too much so to write a note here, although certainly not too much to get to listen to one of the very finest PI recordings of the 9th, this by the Orchestra of the 18th Century / Brüggen. As difficult as it may be to obtain these days (and I know it is), if you are a PI fan, this is a nice addition to your library, not just for the 9th, but several others of the symphonies shine nicely here too.




This week, with only a bit more time, I decided to move backwards by only a few years in realtime, but more than a few years in performance style.

Christoph von Dohnányi led the Cleveland Orchestra in this 1985 performance with a few fine soloists including a rather younger Siegfried Jerusalem and the great bass voice of Robert Lloyd. The style is reminiscent of the Berliners of the 1960's-'70's, and the playing is about equal to them, which is saying a lot! Dohnányi keeps a steady, brisk tempo throughout, with no discernible idiomatic rubatos and accelerandos and the like (which tend to drive me crazy, so I hear them!). Lloyd provides one of the finest bass performances that I have on record, and the supporting chorus is every bit as good as they were with Maazel 3 years earlier.  Overall, when coupled with the great Teldec recording quality, this bargain disk is a fine addition to your library.   

[TheGSMoeller]

That is a great 9th, Gurn. Dohnanyi's 3rd and 6th from that Telarc set are also stellar.

[Gurn Blanston]

That is a great 9th, Gurn. Dohnanyi's 3rd and 6th from that Telarc set are also stellar.

Thanks for that info, Greg. I don't have the cycle, just the 9th, but listening to it, one would suspect that most of the rest is pretty fine too. One of those few times when Sarge wishes he had stayed home...