Cheap Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (Music) (Ludwig van Beethoven, Otto Edelmann, Hans Hopf, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wilhelm Furtwangler) Price
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| ARTIST: | Ludwig van Beethoven, Otto Edelmann, Hans Hopf, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Wilhelm Furtwangler |
| CATEGORY: | Music |
| MANUFACTURER: | Angel Records |
| MEDIA: | Audio CD |
| TRACKS: | Sym No.1 in C, Op.21: I. Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio, Sym No.1 in C, Op.21: II. Andante Cantabile Con Moto, Sym No.1 in C, Op.21: III. Menuetto (Allegro Molto E Vivace) & Trio, Sym No.1 in C, Op.21: IV. Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace, Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.55, 'Eroica:' I. Allegro Con Brio, Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.55, 'Eroica:' II. Marcia Funebre (Adagio Assai), Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.55, 'Eroica:' III. Scherzo (Allegro Vivace) & Trio, Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.55, 'Eroica:' IV. Finale (Allegro Molto - Poco Andante - Presto), Sym No.2 in D, Op.36: I. Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio, Sym No.2 in D, Op.36: II. Larghetto, Sym No.2 in D, Op.36: III. Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio, Sym No.2 in D, Op.36: IV. Allegro Molto, Sym No.4 in B flat, Op.60: I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace, Sym No.4 in B flat, Op.60: II. Adagio, Sym No.4 in B flat, Op.60: III. Menuetto (Allegro Vivace) & Trio (Un Poco Meno Allegro), Sym No.4 in B flat, Op.60: IV. Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: I. Allegro Con Brio, Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: II. Andante Con Moto, Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: III. Allegro, Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: IV. Allegro - Presto, Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: I. Poco Sostenuto - Vivace, Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: II. Allegretto, Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: III. Presto - Assai Meno Presto, Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: IV. Allegro Con Brio, Sym No.6 in F, Op.68, 'Pastoral:' I. Awakening Of Pleasant Feelings Upon Arriving In The Country..., Sym No.6 in F, Op.68, 'Pastoral:' II. Scene At The Brook (Andante Molto Mosso), Sym No.6 in F, Op.68, 'Pastoral:' III. Peasant's Merrymaking (Allegro), Sym No.6 in F, Op.68, 'Pastoral:' IV. Storm And Tempest (Allegro), Sym No.6 in F, Op.68, 'Pastoral:' V. Shepherds' Song. Happy And Thankful Feelings After The Storm..., Sym No.8 In F, Op.93: I. Allegro Vivace E Con Brio - Wilhelm Furtwangler/Stockholm PO, Sym No.8 In F, Op.93: II. Allegro Scherzando - Wilhelm Furtwangler/Stockholm PO, Sym No.8 In F, Op.93: III. Tempo Di Menuetto - Wilhelm Furtwangler/Stockholm PO, Sym No.8 In F, Op.93: IV. Allegro Vivace - Wilhelm Furtwangler/Stockholm PO, Sym No.9 in d, Op.125 'Choral': I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - Chor/Orch Der Bayreuther Festspiele/Wilhelm Furtwangler, Sym No.9 in d, Op.125 'Choral': II. Molto Vivace - Presto - Chor/Orch Der Bayreuther Festspiele/Wilhelm Furtwangler, Sym No.9 in d, Op.125 'Choral': III. Adagio Molto E Cantabile - Andante Moderato - Adagio - Chor/Orch Der Bayreuther Festspiele/Wilhelm Furtwangler, Sym No.9 in d, Op.125 'Choral': IV. Presto - Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Allegro Assai - Presto -... - Chor/Orch Der Bayreuther Festspiele/Wilhelm Furtwangler |
| # OF MEDIA: | 5 |
| UPC: | 724356749627 |
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Customer Reviews of Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies
Not An Ideal Collection Of Furtwangler's Beethoven I own this fine set and plan to keep it. But if you are a relative newcomer to Furtwangler's Beethoven, please be warned that this set is rather uneven in quality. There are Furtwangler performances available elsewhere that, in several cases, are far superior to what is offered here. As a general rule, Furtwangler was more eloquent in live concert than he was in the recording studio. Symphonies 1 and 3-7 here are studio recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic. The other general rule: Furtwangler's greatest performances were mostly with the Berlin Philharmonic. Here is a rundown of this set:
1. This 1952 VPO First Symphony is one of Furtwangler's best studio efforts - I think it's his finest First.
2. This live 1948 VPO Second from London has really awful sound. Unfortunately, it's the only surviving recorded 2nd with Furtwangler. I also feel it is one of Furtwangler's less impressive interpretations. Other conductors, such as Schuricht and Weingartner (in different EMI sets) are more persuasive.
3. The 1952 VPO "Eroica" here has fine sound, but it pales as a performance compared with the live 1944 VPO (M&A 4049)or - my favorite of ALL Beethoven 3rds - the live 1952 Berlin (in good sound) on Tahra 1054/7.
4. Although the 1943 Berlin (M&A 4049) is a far more dramatic reading, this 1952 VPO has much better sound. Take your pick.
5. This rather benign 5th from 1954 is a lesser example of Furtwangler's commanding way with this score than either the 1943 Berlin (M&A 4049) or the 1954 BPO (Tahra 1054/7). The 1943 is my favorite, but the Tahra has much better sound. There are two other exceptional 5ths: the 1937 Berlin studio (Biddulph) and the rather eccentric 1947 live Berlin (M&A 789). All in all, I think the 1954 BPO on Tahra is the safest bet.
6. This 1952 VPO "Pastoral" is a lovely reading in good sound. But the live BPO 1954 (Tahra 1054/7) is even better, and the sound is excellent. Both are rather slow - the 1944 BPO (M&A 4049) was more dramatic but in lesser sonics.
7. I am very fond of this 1950 VPO - it was my first Furtwangler 7th on LP. However, the 1943 live Berlin (M&A 4049) is my favorite by far: it's one of the most dramatic of ALL 7ths.
8. There is a somewhat better Furtwangler 8th (1953 Berlin on a deleted DG CD) than this 1948 Stockholm Phil. But as with the 2nd Symphony, Furtwangler is a little heavy here and a bit short on humor. There are better 8ths out there from Rosbaud (Hanssler), Weingartner (Memories), and Scherchen (EMI), to name just three.
9. The gem of this set. This 1951 live Bayreuth would be my desert island choice for a Beethoven 9th. Fortunately, it is available by itself on EMI in an identical transfer (see my review of it elsewhere at Amazon). But anyone who loves this symphony should also try to hear Furtwangler's 1942 BPO (M&A 4049) - the most dramatic of ALL 9ths - and the conductor's last one: 1954 Lucerne with the Philharmonia, just 3 months before his death (Tahra 1054/7).
This EMI set is definitely worth having - the 1st, 6th, 7th and 9th are among Furtwangler's finest. But to hear what he was fully capable of in these magnificent works, the alternatives cited above are definitely worth your time. Anyway, this is great music that should be heard in readings by more than just one conductor. So I would want to have an alternative complete set or two for contrast. Two of my favorites in that category are the Schuricht/Paris Conservatory (EMI) and Konwitschny with the Leipzig Gewandhaus (Berlin Classics). Both of these have better sound - and the Konwitschny is (gasp!) in stereo. Here's wishing you many hours of happy listening!
+ (4-1/2) Furtwangler's LvB pays long-term rewards
I agree when a previous reviewer says don't buy this if you like Karajan or Abbado, or if you must have stereo-vintage sound. But I personally don't believe Karajan or Abbado represent the highest standards available, especially as interpretations, nor do I consider DG's stereo sonics to be such an advantage.
Szell, Walter, Klemperer and others have also recorded Beethoven's symphonies with great success. Furtwangler's set demands attention from listeners who know these alternatives, especially those accustomed to late mono recordings and want to experience these legendary interpretations. For those familiar with Toscanini, Furtwangler will sound completely different.
Descriptions of Furtwangler's conducting are so plentiful I will only say that his Beethoven set is absolutely exemplary of how he could be completely involved with his performances, making them breathe like a powerful athlete at one point or a sleeping baby at another. Few conductors have ever mastered this kind of combination of spontaneity and control as Furtwangler did, and the harmonic textures of the music are revealed so clearly that issues of sound quality become secondary. However I advise that some patience may be required for a new listener to recognize all the positives to be heard.
interesting only from a historic perspective
Undoubtedly Furtwangler is one of the greatest conductors of the first half of the 20th century and probably the most prominent exponent of the romantic and emotional style of music interpretation. I should preface my review review by saying that I intensely dislike this style, and this collection of Beethoven symphonies perfectly illustrates the reasons why. Most of all the paces are very inconsistent, and there is virtually no sound transparency. If you like the recent Abbado interpretation of the Beethoven symphonies or Karajan's great 1963 recording, don't get this one. This is also not a set that was recorded as a cycle with one single orchestra, it is a collection of Furtwangler's recordings with the Vienna Philharnonic and the Stockholm philharmonic over a period of time. The overall pace, if you can name one, is slow and heavy, even in the early symphonies that definitely to me have a lightness that is very reminiscent of Mozart, this is squahed by a heavyhanded and overbearing style that completely covers all the fine nuances that are in these great pieces.
The sound quality of the set does not help. Clearly these are historic recordings, but there is definitely better-restored stuff out there.