Beethoven Symphonies Cycle: Which is your #1 pick?

Started by stateworker, January 30, 2013, 05:16:54 PM

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Que

Quote from: Daverz on May 24, 2020, 06:18:17 PM
I have not worked my way through the whole set (to be honest, I never listen to any Beethoven set that way), but I want to put in a word for Kletzki with the Czech Philharmonic.  I love the sound of this orchestra in Beethoven.

[asin] B004NWHVSA[/asin]

Yes!  :)

And:







Q


Biffo

Quote from: Que on May 25, 2020, 03:56:21 AM
Yes!  :)

And:







Q

Jochum/Concertgebouw was my first complete cycle. It came as a set of LPs in a bulky box with an embossed gold medallion on the front. I still hold it in great affection though some of the performances now seem rather slow, especially No 6, but No 8 is my all-time favourite for that work.

Brian

Quote from: amw on May 25, 2020, 02:00:05 AM
My preferences remain more or less the same: Krivine, Norrington, Leibowitz. I think of the more "traditional" cycles I rate Blomstedt/Leipzig the highest—a bit faster than his Dresden one and in much better sound.

Changes from previous list in red. I guess I don't listen to the Beethoven symphonies that much.

Bernstein NY C B-
Blomstedt Dresden C+
Blomstedt Leipzig A-
Brüggen Glossa C+
Brüggen Philips B-
Chailly A
Dohnányi A-
Fischer (Adam) B
Gardiner B+
Herreweghe A
Hogwood A-
Järvi B
Karajan 1963 C
Krivine A+
Leibowitz A+
Norrington LCP A-
Norrington Stuttgart A+
This might send me running back to Norrington II, which I remember liking a lot but haven't heard in ages. I'm quite surprised about Adam Fischer - his cycle is so full of ideas and idiosyncrasies, but that makes it personal...me, I thought a lot of it was super weird. But time to revisit that too, maybe. After finishing this Monteux/Cluytens duel thing.

Holden

#263
My cycles

Off the top of my head

*Cluytens BPO
*HvK '63 
*Walter Mono
*Walter Stereo
*Toscanini NBCSO 49 -53
*Furtwangler - various
*Reiner
*Leibowitz
*Monteux Vienna/LSO
*Mengelberg

Not sure which I would rate as top they all have at least one symphony that is not performed as well as it should be. Favourite single symphonies

1 Toscanini NBCSO
2 Immerseel (HIP) Reiner Pittsburgh (Mono)
3 Leibowitz (Stereo) Toscanini '49 (mono)
4 Cluytens BPO
5 HvK '63
6 Walter Columbia SO/Cluytens/Reiner CSO (Hard to choose)
7 Monteux
8 The Liszt transcription by Katsaris (Yes, cheating I know) Maybe Toscanini
9 Fricsay BPO

Cheers

Holden

JBS

Anyone have an opinion on this?
[asin]B084WPJWBC[/asin]

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Biffo

Quote from: JBS on May 26, 2020, 07:23:06 PM
Anyone have an opinion on this?
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No opinion but it is a puzzle to me.

My introduction to Symphonies 5 & 6 (ca. 1968) was Steinberg and the Pittsburgh SO on the EMI bargain price Music for Pleasure label - both in mono sound and on LPs now long gone. The EMI (now Warner) Icon box has Symphonies 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8, recorded between 1955 and 1957. I assume Nos 5 & 6 are the same I used to have on LP.

A few years ago I downloaded Nos 1, 5, 6, 8 & 9 (Mahler version) from Rediscovery.US - all with the PSO but in stereo (at least that is what foobar2000 says); unfortunately Rediscovery provides minimum information.

The Amazon link for the DG set is pretty useless, not least because it says the set has only 2 CDs.  Amazon UK is marginally better in that it gives a track listing for all 9 symphonies, apparently squashed on to 2 CDs; it describes No 9 as 'original version'. There is no useful recording/publication info.

How many times did Steinberg record the Beethoven symphonies?


JBS

Went digging...
The EMI recordings were originally done for Capitol, in the 1950s.
This new set is a cycle done for Command Classics in the 1960s.
Source
Steinberg's Wikipedia bio
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Steinberg
Presto's listing for the new set
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8768411--beethoven-the-symphonies

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Biffo

Quote from: JBS on May 27, 2020, 05:52:48 AM
Went digging...
The EMI recordings were originally done for Capitol, in the 1950s.
This new set is a cycle done for Command Classics in the 1960s.
Source
Steinberg's Wikipedia bio
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Steinberg
Presto's listing for the new set
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8768411--beethoven-the-symphonies

Many thanks for that I will check out the DG set on Spotify and possibly order from Presto

SurprisedByBeauty

I'm curious: Have all my posts on this thread been deleted? And if so, why? Did anyone notice anything going missing? I can't believe I dreamt about posting about Steinberg's Beethoven.

I see. There seems to have been a universal deletion of a few day's posts worth.

Jo498

There were two server crashes within the last week or so and lots of messages were lost.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: Jo498 on June 05, 2020, 12:45:58 AM
There were two server crashes within the last week or so and lots of messages were lost.

So I've read up on, since. (Sticking to my motto: Talk first, research later.  :( )
It just happens so that all my posting, after a month of silence, had been taking place in that time. So I found it curious that everything had been wiped out.  ;D

eoghan

Just seen that Savall has done/is doing a complete cycle at last and I am very very very very very very very very excited. Just stuck the first part (1-5) on Spotify post haste...#1 sounding great so far

premont

Quote from: eoghan on October 03, 2020, 09:52:14 AM
Just seen that Savall has done/is doing a complete cycle at last and I am very very very very very very very very excited. Just stuck the first part (1-5) on Spotify post haste...#1 sounding great so far

On my wishlist, because it is a must.

I wonder if the new recording with Marek Janowski is a must too.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

André

There is a Janowski Eroica with the Suisse romande orchestra that is my favourite of them all. It's from a link posted here many years ago. I believe it was a SR broadcast (in excellent sound). On the strength of that I'd certainly be interested to follow the progress of an eventual cycle by that conductor.

Brian

Quote from: André on October 03, 2020, 10:58:53 AM
There is a Janowski Eroica with the Suisse romande orchestra that is my favourite of them all. It's from a link posted here many years ago. I believe it was a SR broadcast (in excellent sound). On the strength of that I'd certainly be interested to follow the progress of an eventual cycle by that conductor.
Wait no longer, the whole Janowski cycle is boxed up this month. WDR Symphony in Cologne recorded in 2018-19.

The Savall set is amazing, truly one of the most intelligently conducted and revolutionary-feeling sets of interpretations in years, and I hope that in a few years they will be able to return and record 6-9.

premont

Quote from: André on October 03, 2020, 10:58:53 AM
There is a Janowski Eroica with the Suisse romande orchestra that is my favourite of them all. It's from a link posted here many years ago. I believe it was a SR broadcast (in excellent sound). On the strength of that I'd certainly be interested to follow the progress of an eventual cycle by that conductor.

Yes, that Eroica was special, and also the reason for my high expectations to Janowski's cycle.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

André

Quote from: Brian on October 03, 2020, 11:16:08 AM
Wait no longer, the whole Janowski cycle is boxed up this month. WDR Symphony in Cologne recorded in 2018-19.

The Savall set is amazing, truly one of the most intelligently conducted and revolutionary-feeling sets of interpretations in years, and I hope that in a few years they will be able to return and record 6-9.

Thanks for the info.

I'll wait to check into the Savall set. Extracts make me think he put Beethoven on a severe fat and carb free diet. I may be wrong of course, there are 36 movements after all... ;)

André

Quote from: (: premont :) on October 03, 2020, 11:23:44 AM
Yes, that Eroica was special, and also the reason for my high expectations to Janowski's cycle.

Will definitely keep a close eye on it.

In an entirely different perspective, I wait for Sony to finally issue Ormandy's performances. Some of them are simply unbeatable.

amw

I sampled some of the (new) Savall Eroica and didn't like the orchestral playing very much. The balances felt off, and the brass players did not seem very good (which is a major flaw in the Eroica). The interpretation felt pretty standard to be honest. Like similar to most other HIP sets I've heard and liked, without really doing anything extra. But this may be too harsh.

I will listen to the Janowski at some point when my tolerance for Beethoven's music returns.

André

It would seem that Janowski doesn't take the repeat in the Pastorale's scherzo/ländler movement. I wonder how that will sit with some here  :o.