Customer Reviews

Arthur Nikisch conducts Beethoven

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Arthur Nickisch was the most celebrated conductor of orchestras in his day. He was Toscanini before Toscanini. The recording here is the easrliest recording of a symphony extant. It was recorded in Berlin on the eve of the outbreak of the Great War. There is little to be said about the sonics of this recording. It was made on cylinder, and was reproduced carefully in the 1960's on long play vinyl. It is the echo of the music, rather than the sound itself, that is the interesting point of the recording. The recording, with the addition of various music recorded by Nickisch and the Berlin ensemble, represents the early example of what people listened to at the beginning of the recording era. For them, especially for those who lived far from concert halls, this was a treat brought about by modern invention. It makes one think of how far things have come, and of how recordings have progressed and, with digital, regressed, in the area of orchestral music over the years. One needs imagination to appreciate this album, since the sound is primitive. But to those familiar enough with the music, the experience is definately worthwhile.

Ok, the nitty gritty on this thing. I own the vinyl version and this CD.

According to the liner notes it was recorded in 1915. It was the first complete symphony performance ever recorded, and it's the Beethoven 5th. You now know its only claim to fame.

The sound is abysmal, as you should expect. Nikisch pulls the tempi all over the place. It's unbelievable. Furwangler would have been revolted.

You now know everything you need to know. If historical curiosity is your thing, go ahead and buy. Otherwise, save your money. If you do purchase this CD, I strongly urge you to use one of the merchants and get a cheap price. I doubt you will ever listen to this more than once.