Beethoven Symphonies HIP

[max]

Okay, now you're just speculating.

Actually I'm not. Evidently in a restaurant LvB threw what was served directly into the waiter's face. When tasting what was boomeranged he said "rather good" or something to that effect. Beethoven then, not being completely without humor especially at someone else's expense broke out into one big belly laugh. By all accounts this was something he was completely capable of.

[Pat B]

All I can say is; listen to Klemp if you want, don't make yourself feel better by imagining Beethoven would have agreed with you.   

+1, and I'd add: please don't come onto a HIP thread to rehash strawmen about HIP.

FWIW I do enjoy Klemperer's set, and many other conventional performances, along with many PI ones.

[Ken B]

I was under the (severely wrong) impression that the Penguin Guide was authoritative.

If you wanted a recommendation for a British performer, preferably in a British work, on a British label, or Karajan, then the Penguin Guide was perfect. I learned to trust it for comments on sound quality mostly.

[Pat B]

If you wanted a recommendation for a British performer, preferably in a British work, on a British label, or Karajan, then the Penguin Guide was perfect. I learned to trust it for comments on sound quality mostly.

In my defense, I figured it out about 15 years ago.

[Ken B]

In my defense, I figured it out about 15 years ago.

Back in the early 80s they hated Walcha, Harnoncourt, Leonhardt. I learned fast that for Baroque music they were almost perfect south-facing compasses.  So I relied on them

[mc ukrneal]

If you wanted a recommendation for a British performer, preferably in a British work, on a British label, or Karajan, then the Penguin Guide was perfect. I learned to trust it for comments on sound quality mostly.

This is just not true.

Here are their recs for Beethoven 6:
Sony/Columbia SO/Walter
DG/VPO/Boehm
Naxos/BBC SO/Toscanini
Cala/City SO/Stokowski
Testament/BPO/Klemperer
EMI/Philharmonic O./Klemperer
Warner/COE/Harnoncourt
EMI/Philadelphia O/Muti
Sony/RPO/Beecham
EMI/New PO/Giulini

[jlaurson]

This is just not true.

Here are their recs for Beethoven 6:
Sony/Columbia SO/Walter
DG/VPO/Boehm
Naxos/BBC SO/Toscanini
Cala/City SO/Stokowski
Testament/BPO/Klemperer
EMI/Philharmonic O./Klemperer
Warner/COE/Harnoncourt
EMI/Philadelphia O/Muti
Sony/RPO/Beecham
EMI/New PO/Giulini

Far more Germans than Brits.

Klemperer had been adopted, courtesy Legge. New PO makes that recording English with Giulini... ditto BBC SO... 

[prémont]

Back in the early 80s they hated Walcha, Harnoncourt, Leonhardt. I learned fast that for Baroque music they were almost perfect south-facing compasses.  So I relied on them

Strange to see Walcha and Leonhardt mentioned in the same breath. What do they have in common?

[Pat B]

Whatever British bias they have doesn't bother me much since it is a British publication. My bigger problem is that their reviews were unreliable to the extent that I think I'd do about as well to pick recordings at random. Unlike Ken I never found any "south-facing compass" effect.

[Pat B]

Strange to see Walcha and Leonhardt mentioned in the same breath. What do they have in common?

I'll take a stab at that: What Walcha and Leonhardt had in common is that Penguin didn't like them nearly as much as Ken does.

[Gurn Blanston]

This is just not true.

Here are their recs for Beethoven 6:
Sony/Columbia SO/Walter
DG/VPO/Boehm
Naxos/BBC SO/Toscanini
Cala/City SO/Stokowski
Testament/BPO/Klemperer
EMI/Philharmonic O./Klemperer
Warner/COE/Harnoncourt
EMI/Philadelphia O/Muti
Sony/RPO/Beecham
EMI/New PO/Giulini

Nearly all old time dead guys. Why am I not surprised? Great list for 1970 wit ha couple of oldies tossed in...

I'll take the Harnoncourt.

[Karl Henning]

Nearly all old time dead guys. Why am I not surprised? Great list for 1970 wit ha couple of oldies tossed in...

I'll take the Harnoncourt. :-

Or Immerseel.

[Ken B]

Strange to see Walcha and Leonhardt mentioned in the same breath. What do they have in common?

Walcha's WTC on the harpsichord on Archiv. So, original instruments is the answer to your question.

[Ken B]

I'll take a stab at that: What Walcha and Leonhardt had in common is that Penguin didn't like them nearly as much as Ken does.

Could be. There doesn't really have to be a simple unifying explanation does there? Back when period performance was still a bit fringe I found them to be a south facing compass on all things baroque. They gushed over Klemp"s Matthew, which I think the worst commercial recording ever made ( and yes I include The Monkees and The Archies). They liked Sargent's Messiah. They liked Karajan's Bach orchestral suites I recall. So, they were a reliable source 

[mc ukrneal]

Nearly all old time dead guys. Why am I not surprised? Great list for 1970 wit ha couple of oldies tossed in...

I'll take the Harnoncourt.

Oldies, but goodies! In fairness, the book is from 2006 I think, so it would not have the rash of new releases, but still, only one from the 90's. It's the only one in that Harnoncourt box that I think is well done. At least he got my favorite Beethoven symphony right!

[Gurn Blanston]

Or Immerseel.

No, I meant off the list...

[Wakefield]

Nearly all old time dead guys. Why am I not surprised? Great list for 1970 wit ha couple of oldies tossed in...

I'll take the Harnoncourt.

Inside that Tibetan Book of the Dead, it wasn't too much hard to choose Harnoncourt, as Muti is the only another one alive. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Inside that Tibetan Book of the Dead, it wasn't too much hard to choose Harnoncourt, as Muti is the only another one alive. 

  Yeah, so I guess I don't need to subscribe to Penguin, eh?  Unless it is in replacement of the obituary section of my newspaper (about which, I saw the obit of my newspaper recently: online!). 

[Peter Power Pop]

I've just noticed that i don't have any HIP Beethoven symphonies 
Which ones should i try? Harnoncourt, Zinman, Norrington or someone else?

I'm not interested solely on box sets, i might pick single CD's from many conductors.

I'd recommend these HIP sets (in order):

1. Immerseel




2. Brüggen (his first set from 1995)



3. Gardiner



And for modern instruments with an HIP influence, I'd recommend Harnoncourt.

[Marc]

I'd recommend these HIP sets (in order):

[....]

Brüggen 1 re-released in Europe last summer ... and this autumn elsewhere:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Orchestra-Century-Ludwig-Br%C3%BCggen/dp/B00KNTLZ5W/?tag=goodmusicguid-21

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Orchestra-Century-Ludwig-Br%C3%BCggen/dp/B00KNTLZ5W/?tag=goodmusicguideco