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111 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beethoven and Well-Polished Mahogany., January 14, 2003
This review is from: Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set) (Audio CD)
Janos Ferencsik was of the `old school' of conductors. A craftsman rather than a showman. Sadly we shall never see their like again! These are thoroughly balanced and lovingly conceived performances. They reveal great strength of character, healthy self-control and mature insight. Ferencsik evidently had experienced much, with emotional and spiritual roots that went deep. Consequently he had no need to resort to surface, superficial excitement to compensate for lack of insight. Ferencsik reveals the mature insight that comes only from a life-long contemplation of scores that the conductor knew as well as he knew the date of his own birthday. His freedom from egotistical self-indulgence may at first give the impression that Ferencsik's performances will be ordinary and unimaginative. Stay a little longer! The whole cycle has remarkable consistency and these are performances that promise to provide continuing satisfaction long after the latest products of the promoters' art are forgotten. Ferencsik's interpretations of Beethoven are remarkably free from what Harnoncourt calls the `agitative' qualities of this music. Not for him the sort of `off-the-peg' megalomaniac `heroism' of (too) much Beethoven conducting. Instead Ferencsik draws our attention to the profoundly stable, grounded, settled qualities of the music. To be sure music full of energy and dynamism; but using that energy to strengthen and under-gird a deep humanity and profound, peaceful beauty - as Emily Dickinson said, `Past what Ourself can estimate'. Not surprisingly then the 6th `Pastoral' symphony is given a wonderfully glorious performance. And so too is the elusive, enigmatic slow movement of the 9th. This is a remarkable gem, an exceptional success; wholly coherent, glowing with a lyrical, reposeful splendour. The Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra play beautifully, as `to the manner born'. They have with a thoroughly attractive and distinctive sound-reminiscent of a piece of much-loved, deeply polished mahogany. This set can be heartily recommended. At the asking price it's a `steal'! This is real music-making! Well worth hearing whatever other recordings of these inexhaustible symphonies you may have.
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66 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Value for money set - recommended for beginners only, February 19, 2005
This review is from: Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set) (Audio CD)
Received my set from Amazon recently and it arrived in excellent condition. Since then, I have moved on to 2 other Beethoven Symphonies sets by other conductors because I discovered that I really liked the symphonies.
If you have even the slightest suspicion that you might enjoy the symphonies, it is best to bypass this and invest in much better sets instead, like the critically acclaimed 'Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies' by David Zinman (ASIN: B00000IFP6) or the 1963 set 'Beethoven: 9 Symphonien' by Herbert von Karajan (ASIN: B000001GBQ) or even both, like I did.
The Zinman edition is newer (1998) and the first to be recorded using the critical Barenreiter edition, whereas the 1963 Karajan edition has been widely acknowledged as one of the very best edition of the Symphonies ever produced until today. These 2 sets sound sufficiently different from each other to warrant owning both, and either is far, far superior in terms of soundstaging, warmth and lushness compared to this budget version, which appeared clinically dry.
Nevertheless, this set still represents excellent value for money, and is perfectly suitable for the beginner who is unsure whether he/she will appreciate the 9 Symphonies.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent old school Beethoven, June 21, 2004
This review is from: Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set) (Audio CD)
Nothing wrong with the packaging. I own this set for 5 months now and have listen to it again and again. Yes it is old school Beethoven but it is an excellent old school. It is as good as any more expensive set mentiond by other reveiwers. I give this one a 5 stars.
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