Customer Reviews

BEETHOVEN ~ Symphony No. 3 in Eb "Eroica"

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Dohnanyi/Cleveland cycle came out when the HIP cycles by Hogwood & Norrington started to appear. It never seemed to get the attention it deserved which is too bad for these are outstanding performances. Particularly the 3rd. This was a symphony that Dohnanyi's predecessor, the great George Szell, seemed to own. Much to his credit, Dohnanyi views Beethoven's "Eroica" not as a full blown essay in Romanticism, but as the culmination of the Classical ideal. Dohnanyi retains Szells fire, tightness of ensemble, and precise articulation. But, Dohnanyi brings a new voluptuousness to this score that surpasses even Szells standards. It is a fabulous performance.

As other reviewers have noted, this was one of the first recordings Christoph von Dohnányi made with the Cleveland Orchestra, and twenty years later it's still one of the very best. The key word for this performance is "momentum." From the very beginning chords of the symphony (which, as classicstoday.com critic Victor Carr correctly noted, sound like rifle shots) right through to the final, triumphant burst of sound, the symphony sets an athletic pace that never lets up: the multiple hemiolas in the first movement don't slow down the action at all, the scherzo is honed to a razor's edge, and rarely has the funeral march sounded so martial. Under Dohnányi's watchful eye, this is a performance chock-full of subtle nuances and shadings that slip by many other conductors in their efforts to be overly bombastic and/or to create the "one definitive interpretation" of this work. Ultimately, it does fall a little short of the level of interpretation George Szell displayed in his Eroica, but the tradeoff here is a Cleveland Orchestra that's even more polished and precise than they were on their earlier foray - and, of course, that glorious, expansive Telarc sound. The brass are a little overbearing at points compared to the rest of the orchestra, but it's hardly noticeable when this recording is played loudly - as it should be. Overall, this recording of this grandiose masterwork explodes with a vitality, power and clarity that I haven't found anywhere else. Other Eroicas may inflect certain spots of the music a little better, but taken as a whole, this recording is several leagues ahead of most of its competitors. It's been my favorite from the moment I heard it, and I doubt that will ever change.

Beethoven's Eroica is simply one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and this performance is simply the best I've ever heard, hands down. The pacing is just perfect, the first movement simply soars. And best of all, he takes the repeat of the exposition in the first movement, which I have found difficult to find in recordings of this piece. There is absolutely *nothing* in this performance I would want to change, and it has become the standard by which I judge all others.

This was the very first of Dohnanyi's recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra, made within months of his designation as Music Director in the early 1980s. A vivid, rollicking Eroica, with the Clevelanders' famed precision and Telarc's usual expansive sound. Among the best, by every standard.

The best "EROICA" I have heard...Powerful interpretation by Dohnanyi, he really knew what Beethoven wanted to transmit Through this symphony. Perfect Tempi, great clarity and crisp sound.

Get this recording and don't look back..

This CD is from 1984 not 2003. Do not assume you are buying a re-issued or a remastered CD. I returned mine.

This particular recording is unplayable. It alternates between passages so soft that they are inaudiable, and others so loud that they blow the roof off. Whoever miked and/or mixed this album did a horrible job. I've heard this symphony many times, including live performances, and never experienced anything like this. It went in the rubbish bin after one playing... however, if you need something to torture your neighbors or the local dog population with, this will be ideal.