Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

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How best to describe Otto Klemperer's perspective on Beethoven's symphonies: grand, heroic, intense, insightful, stubborn, obstinate, detailed, dramatic, monumental, granitic, deeply emotional, never sentimental. This boxed set of the complete symphonies and concerti embodies all of these elements as stands as one of the great achievements of recorded music.

These performances were recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra at its peak, in the sumptuous acoustics of Kingsway Hall in London and in fine and detailed sound, and mostly in the mid-1950's during one of the brief charmed periods of Klemperer's life. EMI's impresario Walter Legge had made him permanent conductor of the Philharmonia, and when Klemperer embarked on this project in his 70's, he was in relatively good mental and physical health (Klemperer could show symptoms of manic depression and survived many health crises - brain tumor, broken bones, paralysis - which would have stopped most people).

By this time Klemperer had slowed the tempi of the fast movements of the Beethoven symphonies (listen to his early 1950's recordings of the 5th and 6th on Vox to hear by how much). This tendency is more pronounced in these studio recordings than in the live performances which were recorded during that era. The slowness is mostly saved by Klemperer's use of "sprung" rhythms, which keep the slow tempi from feeling laggardly.

Klemperer's earliest recordings in this series - symphonies 3, 5 and 7 - predated stereo. He rerecorded all three of these symphonies in stereo, but those recordings were made after he burned himself by falling asleep while smoking in bed. All three performances feature slower tempi than the earlier ones (whether this was the conductor's preference or the result of physical incapacity is open to conjecture). In particular, the rerecorded 7th suffered from lax phrasing, inattentiveness and perverse tempi. That is NOT the version contained in this set: fortunately, EMI had simultaneously recorded the earlier (mono) version of the 7th in "experimental" stereo, and it is that earlier version which is released here (the "experimental" stereo is remarkably good, by the way). The versions of the 3rd and 5th are the rerecorded stereo ones.

You will find no finer studio versions of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th or 8th. All are insightful, beautifully detailed and powerful. The 2nd clearly looks forward to the 3rd and not back toward Hayden, the 4th is boisterous and vital, the 6th bucolic and sumptuous (not a quality normally associated with Klemperer), the 7th gains in drama what it loses in swiftness and lightness, and in the 8th in particular we see the conductor's empathy to Beethoven's sense of humor. Klemperer had a deep affinity for the "Eroica", and the rerecorded version here, while slower than the 1955 recording, was dubbed by "High Fidelity"'s Harris Goldsmith (no Klemperer fan, he) as "the best Eroica going slow" and is a monumental masterpiece (the second movement is shattering). The 1st, while leisurely, is a lovingly crafted.

That leaves the 5th and 9th. There is no doubt in my mind that the earlier, mono 5th is superior to the remake in this set. We lose that sense of an inevitable onslaught, especially in the outer movements. And the 9th, while similar in conception to the live versions recorded around the same time (on Testament with the Philharmonia and on Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw), suffers from diffuse sound and occasional lack of focus. I emphasize that these recordings of both symphonies are still head and shoulders above most of the competition; we're talking about different levels of greatness here.

Are there superior Klemperer recordings of these symphonies? Yes; but all are live, and despite the relatively good reprocessed sound, they don't reveal the same level of detail that these studio recordings do. Klemperer was a very different conductor in front of an audience, and there is more vitality and drama in the live versions of the 3rd (Testament, with the Danish Symphony), 6th 7th and 8th (Music&Arts with the Concertgebouw) and the 9th (see above). Music&Arts' set of the complete symphonies, recorded live in Vienna in 1960, is long out of print and had cramped sound with poor detail - a supplement to this set, not a replacement.

As to the piano concerti: they are better than one might expect. Barenboim, although steeped in the Germanic performance tradition, is more naturally aligned with the Furtwangler and Edwin Fischer than with Klemperer. However, the two of them actually work together extremely well and this is a fine, insightful set.

Any complete cycle of Beethoven, symphonies or concerti, will have drawbacks. There will be unevenness in the performances, as there are here. But there are advantages to hearing one musician's perspective on the works, especially when (as here) the performer has depth of understanding, integrity of vision, and a structural understanding of the pieces.

The digital remastering is excellent and the sound barely shows its age. This may not be your only complete set of Beethoven's symphonies, but it should be one of them. And at a price this low, it's a bargain too.

To own these recordings; what a privilege!

These are to me, without a doubt the most convincing and satisfying accounts of these most eternal symphonic works ever committed to disc.

Without wanting to slaughter this gift by detaining it for analysis, yet there are two characteristic traits worthy of mention to the ardent devotee of Beethoven's works: first, the Klemperer 'sound', and second, the Klemperer 'SOUND'. There is an exact and almost terrifyingly hypnotic fusion here of supreme, organic, and hefty recorded sound quality with a logical, colossal, and well-nigh spiritual traversal of these symphonies.

The orchestra demonstrates a rare and elevated capacity to play through these scores note by note, never forgetting themselves in the frenzy of celestial splendour. They are always in the moment, never rushing, never dabbling, but steady, steady, like some granite truck ploughing through the eternal cosmos, or like an oak tree towering upward, growing, growing, and reaching mesmerizing heights.

I deeply respect the many contributions by other amazing conductors of the bygone era to this canon. The interpretations of Furtwangler, Pfitzner, Weingartner and Toscanini should especially not be overlooked. However, there is a fire in these recordings, an intensity of precision and seriousness that elsewhere have not been matched.

Meditate on these divine works. Appreciate and enjoy them.

When I read such comments as "hopelessly old-fashioned, dark,
heavy, and frequently very slow," I can't believe your reviewers
heard the same recordings I did. This nine-CD album is an
astonishing achievement and a wonderful contribution to the
recording legacy of Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia (or New
Philharmonia after 1964). Any lover of classical music should
immediately order this set while it is still in the catalog.
Please ignore the carping by some critics that Klemperer indulges
in "impossibly slow tempos." These people ignore the fact that
Klemperer often delivers quite brisk tempi when it suits his
interpretation of the score. Perhaps such critics prefer to
hear every classical piece performed at precisely the metronome
setting they feel matches the tempo markings of the composer, but
that could result in every recording of a work sounding the same.
Klemperer was a maestro who knew what he wanted, and he made sure
his orchestra knew it as well. His output with the Philharmonia
and New Philharmonia included numerous major works ranked by
prominent critics as among the "great recordings of all time."
Sure, there are other conductors with faster, even MUCH faster,
versions of the Beethoven symphonies and concerti and overtures.
Sir Georg Solti and William Steinberg come to mind, and some
critics hated their performances for being TOO fast. But there
are others even slower than Klemperer's slowest passages. I have
numerous versions of the Beethoven symphonies and piano concerti
(LP and CD) in my collection, and I enjoy the differences in
approach of such conductors as Solti, Ashkenazy, Karajan, Boehm,
Kleiber, Furtwangler, Toscanini, Monteux, Stokowski, and others,
even when accompanied by groans, moans, and occasional editing
of the scores. But I challenge anybody to identify a more
majestic set of Beethoven symphonies and concerti than this
Klemperer album. I want especially to compliment the five piano
concerti (featuring Daniel Barenboim as soloist). The sound of
these performances is markedly superior to the original vinyl
records, and the tempi are definitely not a drag. Add to that
the inclusion of the three Leonore overtures and the various
other pieces, and you have an amazing value as well as superb
performances. The only things I would have liked to add are the
Violin Concerto (with Yehudi Menuhin as soloist)and the Fidelio
overture. Incidentally, for those enthusiasts of vinyl records,
let me add that the CD sound (remastered with 24-bit technology)
is every bit as good, and often better than those Angel records,
and there are no unfortunate breaks in movements, such as in the
second movement of the Angel LP of the "Eroica" symphony.

Probably, a Beethoven symphony set cannot be more seminal than this one. Klemperer's gritty, powerful, and solid interpretations are classic benchmarks in the recording history.

There are many things to appreciate here, for example the outstanding finale of no. 9, with prominent trombone playing and excellent percussion beats - it sounds like no other recording, and I think it is the finest account available.

In sum, a set carved in granite, heated by a sunny day of musical passion - warmly recommended.

(The piano concertos included are also very fine, but consider Szell/Fleisher for reference.)

Two days after 9-11, in a stunned state (as we all were here in New England) I sat down at a local used CD shop and almost absent-mindedly plunked into the player a used copy of Klemperer's recording of the Third. I was barely aware of the passing of the first movement but when the Funeral March began something extraordinary happened. It wasn't the Funeral March per se (which would have struck me as trite during those days of bottomless tragedy) but this recording of it. Klemp, a German, and a damned good one, understood. He'd seen it, in fact he'd seen worse, much worse. He was almost using Beethoven's music to convey something no composer could ever convey.

Klemperer's way with music, especially German music, was unique. Issues of tempo and "control" are superfluous, he was a deeply soulful conductor and that's what matters. Soulfulness, in case you haven't noticed, is the magic elixer that makes Germanic music truly come alive and I'd argue only German conductors, and especially those of an era when good German souls were in deep torment, are best qualified to wrench every bit of it out of a piece of music. No man who was a German could stand at a podium in, say, 1958, conduct the Ninth, or Mathis der Maler, or the St Matthew Passion, and not feel a bit of the cosmos orbiting around the proceedings, and not exactly in a pleasant way. This often wasn't mere music making, it was penance, it was offerings to God for forgiveness, compassion, understanding. It may be that the greatest tragedy of modern times may have, ironically, led to two or three decades of the greatest music making ever.

I love quite a few Beethoven cycles (most though are pre-Seventies) but this set is special. Please accept it on its own terms and please accept the total committment and sincerity of the conductor.

Klemperer's way with Beethoven is nothing if not honest. By the 1950's Otto Klemperer drew his written signature with a bold, truculent hand, the letters shaky but defiant. He had endured much. That signature and these Beethoven performances reveal the same spirit - an essential honesty.

These are bold, defiant, trenchant and experienced performances. They represent essential aspects of Beethoven's genius. Dylan Thomas's pleaded that his father should `rage against the dying of the light'. Beethoven did so. So too did Klemeperer. He rages through these symphonies. Despising superficiality, he scorned a polished, refined orchestral sound. The Philharmonia respond with bold, rugged, trenchant strength. The conductor's hand and beat were in the last years notoriously shaky but the spirit utterly secure, defiant in adversity.

Klemperer's vision is expressed with a defiant, trudging gait, firmly grasped priorities, unbending pride, prominent woodwind, violins divided right and left, thundering timpani in Eroica's the last page, blazing trombones in the finale of the 5th, a galumphing rustic peasant dance in the `Pastoral' (Klemperer insisted this was a slow Austrian county dance).

It is fashionable to prefer early versions of the 3rd, 5th and 7th and the `live' recording of the 9th but the recordings included in this set are quintessential Klemeperer. They represent something elemental, undeniable. Comparison with Klemperer's contemporaries uncovers fundamental differences of personality. Klemperer lacks the beauty and grace of Bruno Walter's vision; the deep peace and equilibrium radiating from Ferencsik's pacific performances; the athletic dynamism that drives Carl Schuricht's. But Klemeperer convinces by patent honesty, stubborn faithfulness to essential aspects in the physiognomy of Beethoven's spirit. Indispensable!

What is the best value in classical discs available today ? Who knows, but I defy anyone to beat the EMI compilation of Klemperer' recordings of the complete Beethoven Symphonies, Piano Concertos (with Barenboim), several overtures the Choral Fantasia etc etc. 9 discs for only $44 ( well that was the price I paid). You have got to be kidding... I only had two concerns with buying this. First on the age of the recordings, all more than 40 years old. No worry at all. This is a masterpiece of reconstruction. The sound quality indistinguishable from any modern recording. Secondly , the performances themselves. I had been warned that Klemperer notoriously chose rather slow tempi. Again I needn't have worried. I immediately went to the slow movements of the 2nd piano concerto and the fourth symphony, where many slow tempists have in the past come unstuck. The piano concerto was an absolute revelation. The combination of the youthful Barenboim and the Philharmonia's masterful playing time and gain had me on the edge of my seat. " Yes,go on, well...." Slow it may have been. Boring, never. The same applies in spades to the slow movement of the fourth. Right from the eerie opening, which is yes, very slow indeed, I knew this movement would be a revelation and I can honestly say I have never hear it better played. Follow this with a scherzo bounding in energy and thumping finale and you will never get a better performance of this, one of Beethoven's "lesser" symphonies. And I haven't even got round to the "biggies" yet! The box set looks unattractive and the portrait of Klemperer makes him appear a first class nerd. Pay absolutely no attention to this....

I must respectfully disagree with a few of the reviews stated here: I find Otto Klemperer's tempi to be rather catatonic. Before you consign me to the philistine heap, please remember that Beethoven's own metronome markings for his scores are far faster than nearly anyone conducts them. Listening to Klemperer's Eroica, I'm now convinced that the first movement is the true "funeral march," while the Fifth symphony's first movement sounds more lethargic than majestic.

Overall, the most uneven of the selections is Klemperer's take on the Seventh: the first movement does indeed sound majestic, the popular second movement has an appropriate pathos wrung from it by the glacial tempo, yet the third & (especially) fourth movements can never get going.

The Eighth retains a certain lightness despite the stern conducting. The Sixth's storm movement is very effective, while the more bucolic first three movements lack a lightness & grace. Klemperer's interpretation of the First is glorious, as is his full-orchestra Grosse Fuge, which is the highlight of the set.

The Ninth has a relatively swift last movement with some famous Wagnerian voices (Hotter & Ludwig), a powerfully morose first movement, a lagging second, and an exquisite third.

The piano concertos carry on with the slow tempi. This approach works best on the luscious Concerto #4 and the gorgeous second movement of Concerto #5. Unfortunately, the rest of the "Emperor" drags a bit. Concertos 1, 2 & 3 sound almost more like Bruckner than early Beethoven with the stern atmosphere that permeates these pieces.

The Choral Fantasy & the overtures are performed admirably enough. The angry Coriolan benefits best under Klemperer's direction.

I do not wish to be misunderstood: Klemperer was one of the greatest conductors of all time. Yet, I find his style better suits the late Romantics, foremost of which would be Wagner. For the Beethoven neophyte, I would recommend Karajan's symphonies & the Ashkenazy/Solti piano concertos. As an alternative to those, this set is certainly worthwhile.

I'll honestly admit I was a Klemperer-skeptic for a long time. A few months ago I became hooked on his supreme intellect and insight and his meticulous detail in phrasing and clarity.
As with all recordings of Klemperer this one is not a winner at first hearing. But after repeated listening it dug into my mind and never left there and I cannot imagine a life without this set.
The thing with Klemperer is that he was a conductor who values certain aspects of music (clarity, detail of phrasing, architectural insight and logic) which simply not all listeners appreciate. I do love this kind of music making and hence this is (together with the still underrated Szell cycle) my favorite set, even though it is not as immediately attractive or pleasing as certain others. Klemperer has always been a musician rather than an entertainer. He is the one to go to for musical truth rather than immediate thrills.
However, once one has taken the effort of getting to know his recordings you will notice that it becomes all the more thrilling in it's depths and in the myriad details he has to offer.
Moreover, it's one of the rare cycles with the violins placed antiphonically, something which greatly adds to my orchestral enjoyment.
Don't live without this set if you value the qualities I mentioned. If you like your Beethoven different then feel free to ignore it and look for another conductor.

The people who are criticizing Klemperer's tempo are missing the big picture. Listening to these recordings was powerful and moving. Klemperer uses tempo to give the listener the oportunity to hear each note that Beethoven used. Anybody who wants to hear a powerful interpertation of the great symphonies should buy this box set.