Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Complete Symphonies [Box Set]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Muti played a lot of Beethoven during his years in Philadelphia but that should not be taken as an automatic recommendation for this set. There is no perfect set of the complete Beethoven symphonies. Muti does best in the more dramatic works, such as 5 and 7. The 7th was a work he returned to frequently and this is a flaming rendition.

But the humor and wit that others (Walter and Monteux, for example) could find in 1, 4 and 8 seem to be total mysteries to Muti and he seems at a loss for what to do during his day in the country (#6). The 9th is a big event but the performance doesn't move you like Furtwangler. It seems cold.

The big loss, though, is the 3rd, the "Eroica". Muti did very well with this in concert in the 1980s, when these were recorded but through some incredible error, the original 1988 edition of the performance used a bad take in which the french horn's solo reprise of the 1st movement theme at the start of the racapitulation was MIA. Was he asleep? Were there too many spotmikes and his was turned off? And how did a perfectionist like Muti let it out? In any event, listen to see if this has been fixed before laying out any money.

My advice? Pick up Muti's 5 & 7 if available separately but skip the rest. If you want high energy Beethoven in this price range, go for the Solti. If you want something a little more human, then Walter or Monteux, although the latter's 9th is an orphan on another label than Decca/London which has 1 through 8 on a pair of bargain priced "Double Deccas." The weakness of the Walter stereo set is the 5th, which can be remedied by going for Carlos Kleiber's 5 & 7 on DG's "The Originals" series.

I have had this set for a month or two now and have wanted to write a review, but I have been overwhelmed by the idea of critiquing every symphony because each recording is so outstanding in its own right that I wanted to say something about each one. I realize that a few words about some of the recordings say volumes about the whole set.

First of all, one of the reviews suggested that this set was more classical in interpretation than the 'bombastic romantic' interpretations by Solti, von Karajan or Furtwangler and even Bruno Walter. Toscanini was a speed [fan] although tender moments do pop out. Another brought out his experience with all of the sets of his Beethoven recordings and tried to compare them.

I say that this set is incomparable because there is no set out there to compare it with, because the set has its bombastic moments and tender, classical moments, if you will. For instance, the larghetto movement of the second symphony, which is a struggle between major and minor melodies in only the way Beethoven could weave them. After the recapitulation of the two themes and toward the end of the movement there is an ascending melody lower strings answered in a descending theme by the violins that is so wonderfully and romantically played, the strings soar so beautifully (Muti has a way with Maestoso, such as a passage in the first movement of Tchaikovsky's sixth in a descending scale by the orchestra ) the majesty is astounding. That is not 'classical'! His recordings of the 2nd and 4th are like no others. Maestro Muti also brings out melodies that I have never heard in any other Beethoven redordings. The fifth is a marvel of invention, I know every single note of this symphony by heart and the Maestro brings out things I haven't heard before. The adagio and the finale of the seventh are so wonderful. The second and third movements are a marvel in the 9th also.l also think that the eigth is a marvel. I have heard at least 100 performances of it and non other compare. The third is also a wonder. And to have the overtures. What a wonderful bonus. I almost forgot to mention the 'Pastoral'. I had been waiting for years and years to listen a recording that matched Bruno Walter's old recording of it. The reason is the majesty of the last movement. All the recordings that I owned or listened to did not come close (maybe Ormandy did), but this one did and I am so greatful. I usually graded a Beethoven set by the sensitivity of the sixth. (I used to have several sets of Beethoven but all was lost in a fire several years ago).

I cannot end without saying something about the Philadelphia Orchestra's playing. I have said before that Maestro Muti brought a refinement to the orchestra that, I think, adds to their virtuosity. They play so powerfully as well as beautifully. The strings in the second and eigth symphonies as well as the sixth and seventh. The brass powerful yet sensitive. I guess that I could go on and on. I am an unashamed PHO lover and devotee and have been most of my life. I wish the Maestro hadn't left because Sawallisch has brought back the power without the refinement, like he is playing a piano, not a great orchestra. It is just too bad that Maestroes Muti and Ormandy didn't have the new hall to play and record in. I understand that there are also new recordings with the PHO on Deutche Gramaphon. I can hardly wait to hear them. BPO, CSO, CCO Amsterdam, VPO, yes they are great orchestras but PHO you are in your own class and always have been.

I received this set in the 1988 CDS 7 49487 2 issue as a gift. It includes the notorious editing gaffe in the first movement of the "Eroica" (maybe corrected in this incarnation). Muti is a so-so interpreter of these warhorses. He lives me cold except for a rhythmically taut and exciting performance of the Seventh and a good performance of the Fifth.

This is big orchestra Beethoven. When the set was released twenty years ago, the publicity material indicated the recordings were made in three different Philadelphia venues. The fact that the whole set sounds the same is evidence of much post session meddling and artifical reverberation. The result is smooth and synthetic.

There are Beethoven Symphony cycles for every conceivable taste. This one is well played, but with the exception of Nos. 5 and 7, I don't find much on the interpretive front that appeals to me. The waning years of the 20th century saw many duplicative cycles of the symphonies that didn't contribute much to the various conductors' and orchestras' recorded legacies. This, in my humble opinion, is one of those expendable sets. EMI has also released the performances in budget priced individual discs. If you can find Nos. 5 and 7, they are worth investigating. Of more recent efforts, Charles Mackerras (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/EMI) and David Zinman (Zurich Tonhalle/Pro Arte) have some very interesting things to say. Those interested in period instruments should investigate Gardiner on DG. The current cycles conducted by Jarvi(RCA) and Vanska (BIS) are on a very high level interpretively and recorded in state of the art sound.

I wanted to get a great recording of the Beethoven Symphonies and scoured the Internet looking for quality recordings. It came down to this set and Karajan's set, and this won due to price.

I'm aware of Karajan's set, and I'm not going to say anything bad about it. It's loud and boisterous, but just ask yourself this--would Beethoven have liked it? Of course.

Muti's interpretation is more subtle and less bombastic. If it were a flavor, it would be vanilla. But what's wrong with vanilla? Sure, the Philadelphia Orchestra is not as prestigious as Berlin or Vienna. And yes, they are playing on modern instruments, not period instruments.

But here's what you get, and here's why I think this is the best value set out there. You get all nine symphonies, plus three overtures: Fidelio, Leonore No. 3, and the Consecration of the House. The Ninth features opera star James Morris as one of the soloists and the Westminster College Choir. It's a digital recording (1986). Oh yes, and it's thirty dollars cheaper.

I actually prefer the more "classical" approach to the symphonies that Muti provides (don't worry, the Ninth is still purely Romantic). I'm sure one can find better recordings piecemeal (or perhaps collectively), but the fact remains that these recordings are very good and cannot be dismissed.

FYI-- The CDs are not in a jewel case but a cardboard box with stiff paper sleeves for each of the 6 CDs. Liner notes are good but not great.

The nine symphonies of Beethoven are not only a high watermark in the classical music genre, but indeed a high watermark for all of music and humanity in general. They are remarkable also for the sheer fact that Beethoven was often in poor health when he composed them, and struggling with deafness as well. From the first two symphonies, both in the Haydn/Mozart sphere, to the ground-breaking "Eroica" and moving up to the immense universes of the Ninth, Beethoven helped set the stage not only for the music of the 19th century, but also even the 20th as well.

Not surprisingly, there have been dozens upon dozens of box sets devoted to Beethoven's symphonies over the decades. But this one by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti stands tall with other Beethoven sets for the way this great orchestra navigates its way through these works under the direction of a great conductor who had the unenviable task of carving out a niche for himself in Philadelphia, where the reputations of Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy still loom large.

The box set consists of:

CD-1: SYMPHONIES NOS. 5 & 1

CD-2: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2 & 4

CD-3: SYMPHONY NO. 3 (EROICA); OVERTURE TO "FIDELIO"; CONSECREATION OF THE HOUSE OVERTURE

CD-4: SYMPHONY NO. 6 (PASTORAL); LEONORA OVERTURE NO. 3

CD-5: SYMPHONIES NOS. 7 & 8

CD-6: SYMPHONY NO. 9 (CHORAL); CHERYL STUDER (soprano); DELORES ZIEGLER (mezzo-soprano); PETER SEIFFERT (tenor); JAMES MORRIS (bass); WESTMINSTER CHOIR (Joseph Flummerfelt, chorus director)

Recorded between 1985 and 1988, this box set may not enjoy the same amount of praise richly and deservedly placed on those by Solti, Karajan, Bernstein, or Szell, but the performances contained in them are very true to the composer's intentions without sacrificing spirit or orchestral texture. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th symphonies are very Classical in their performances, while nos. 3, 5, 6, & 7 are sterling examples of balancing classical structure with Romanticism. The addition of three overtures, two of them from the composer's one and only opera "Fidelio", is also welcome. And then there's the Ninth Symphony, with its immense power and the triumphal "Ode To Joy" finale, superbly pulled off by Muti and the orchestra with a distinguished quartet of vocal soloists and the Westminster Choir.

Every self-respecting music aficionado should have a Beethoven symphonic box set in their collection, and this one is a fine addition to the many great such box sets out there.

Once and for all - I have the original 1988 release of the Beethoven Symphony No. 3 with Muti and the Phialdelphia Orchestra. There is no miss-cue in the horn part just before the recap of the main theme in the first movememnt. It is played as Beethoven wrote it - "pp" - very soft - one must listen for it!!

This is an excellent cycle and I highly recommend it!! It is great to hear this orchestra in top form in these symphonies -

It's true what most reviewers are saying about the more subtle interpretation, but I kind of like it that way. I have this box (which does have a 6 CD jewelbox-by the way) and the Solti version. While Sir Georg is my usual default, I find this one making it's way to the player more often.

This is a very great set of the Beethoven symphonies. Riccardo Muti adheres meticulously to the marked dynamics yet consistently seems spontaneous, not pedestrian. Details and inner voices emerge with crystal clarity. The playing of the Philadelphia Orchestra is exquisite. Although I don't want to single out high points, I must say the Seventh is astonishing in its combination of clarity, control, and savage power. With respect to the moment in the Third ("Eroica") that occurs at the end of the exposition of Movement I just a few measures before the recapitulation, mentioned in other reviews (the alleged missing horn figure based on the first measure of the theme), Beethoven has marked this entire passage pianissimo, with the horn figure carrying a pianissimo marking of its own in a measure where the strings have a 4-p marking--and that is exactly what Muti gives us. The horn figure is barely audible, which contributes to the sense of surprise and relief when the recapitulation hits us; unfortunately we have grown accustomed to recordings in which this little figure is far more prominent. Meticulous Muti, disciplined and not swept away by the emotion of the moment, gets it right. More power to him, I say, as he sweeps away the cobwebs of convention and custom. Although not explicitly informed by modern views of performance practice as far as I can tell, it is clean and clear. As I worked my way through it and re-listened to parts here and there, I came to the realization that this is as good as any Beethoven symphony set I've ever heard and is more satisfying than the vast majority. I endorse it highly.

When I first listened to these CDs, I was so fascinated by the quality of the performance! I especially loved the 7th Symphony's "[Scherzo]Presto-Assai Meno Presto-Presto-Assai Meno Presto-Presto-Assai Meno Presto-Presto";it reminded me of the Mexican Hat Dance when I first heard it. These recordings are definitely for someone who has heard or heard of at least part of a Beethoven or Classical symphony; it might give them a chance to see why Beethoven really is worth buying. I think a classical music fan would like this: it would cherish uplifting memories in their minds interminably. I wish you luck in selling more of these CDs, because I'll be sending you many more orders on the Internet. (Be prepared!)Anyway, I am positive that people will like this CD.

I'm afraid I agree with the fellow who found the sound of these recordings dim--details in the strings and woodwinds remain unclear even after hours of fiddling with an equalizer. I agree that Karajan's and Toscanini's Beethoven are the pits, and I'd rather listen to Muti's Beethoven given the choice. There is no denying the beauty of the playing. Still, Muti is too much of a romantic for Beethoven--those subtle changes of tempo that are so effective and necessary in Tchaikovsky (Muti's is among the best) in Beethoven become fussy, distracting and effeminate, weakening forward momentum. I wish I liked this set--the price is certainly right--but...