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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle Intensity: Bruno Walter's Beethoven,
By
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies (Audio CD)
These vintage recordings from the last fifties and early sixties capture all the warmth, insight, and gentle intensity of Bruno Walter's interpretative stance on Beethoven. Textures are clear, inner voices sing, and melodies flow with a gentle and passionate inevitability. The structure of the symphonies (despite the absence of any exposition repeats) unfolds with both clarity and narrative expansiveness. At times, Walter's art reveals a distinctive charm in the handling of rhythm: just note the opening of the second movement of the fourth, the genial ritardtando at the opening of the "Pastoral," or the almost coy viola patterns at the end of the second movement of the eight--absolutely inimitable Walterian timing.Charm, however, is not the whole story. The epic grandeur of the "Eroica," the rhetorical gestures of the fifth, and the rhythmic vitality of the seventh all find unique expression in Walter's imagination: his third blends power with pathos, his fifth unites drive with ardent longing, and his seventh seamlessly and paradoxically weds febrile energy with Viennese swing. As for the ninth, the almost operatic passion of the first movement of the ninth, the granite-like strength of the scherzo, and the elysian warmth of the third movement are all unique in the Beethoven discography. Disappointingly, the crowning fourth movement lacks a foward moving structural impetous (how uncharacteristics of this set!); nevertheless, the soulful unfolding of the "Ode to Joy" theme in the strings is very moving. The choir tries to deal with the slow tempi--it seems that Walter is seeking some sort of metaphysical stasis to contrast with the drama of the opening movements--but ultimately, though there are many heart-warming touches, the finale fails to ignite. (This recording could be nicely supplemented by a "live" version of the ninth that Walter made with the London Symphony--what fireworks go off in that performance!!) Despite this important blemish, this set of Beethoven symphonies is indispensable to the serious collector--endlessly fascinating in detail, warm in recorded sound, a living portrait of an artist who combined seraphic gentility, clarity of structure, and Dionysian passion to a unique and unrepeatable degree.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An incredible Cycle!!!,
By David Lee "duffyl18" (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies (Audio CD)
Rather than goading and beating his players sensely Walter was always a gentleman of conductors and was very much old world by the time the 50s came about. Never in a rush, these interpretations balance a view halfway between modern interpretation of Conducting and yet maintains the old world sense of proportion and blend. The Columbia symphony sounds wonderfully European...robust woodwinds out front and a natural unforced balance between winds and brass.Rather recently I heard the Naxos Tintner set and was very dissapointed with the Beethoven installments..and in No. 4 you simply have to listen to Walter. The warmth and roundness of phrasing and the subtle dovetailing of phrases is an instance where Walter can never be matched. I also dislike the idea of doing Romantic interpretations with Chamber music forces...here the Columbia symphony is around 75 players and yet play with a smooth clean sound that is very delicate... I have a great admiration for Szell as well and for different reasons...Szell is very clean and more tense generally which works for Beethoven. However, I really think any genuine collector must have Bruno Walter's complete recordings on the "shelf". They are simply great and appeal to the sensibilities of serving the music without fuss.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the best.,
By
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies (Audio CD)
I don't think Beethoven composed anything I have not enjoyed. I even like his First Symphony, and he was not very fond of it. He is the author of my favorite overture (Egmont) and some of the most beautiful and moving piano pieces ever created are his. I had listened to several versions of his symphonies, from a squalid, anemic rendition by Norrington, to the very good ones by Karajan and Solti, with several lesser known directors between them. I am sorry to say that I have never listened to a Bernstein version, but I will make it a point to buy one. This Bruno Walter set of Beethoven's symphonies, however, is by far the best, the most powerful interpretation of the great master that I have ever found. Walter seems to have an instinctive knowledge of the power of notes that to others are just passages. Even though I like the nine versions here presented, my absolute favorite has to be the First movement of the Fifth Symphony, especially towards the end. I have heard versions that simply run through those notes (Norrington's is particularly bad) as if the director were in a hurry to go somewhere. Others, like Solti, seem dimly aware of the raw power that such a segment hides, but cruise through. Once you have listened to Walter's version of the 5th's First Movement and compared it to other Director's interpretations, you'll be able to see if you agree with me that Walter is the best interpreter of Beethoven. I also recommend his extraordinary work on Dvorak's symphonies, particularly the 9th.
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