Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 1

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

 

 

The Penguin Guide: (1996)

"In sheer naturalness of utterance, unforced expressiveness and the superlatively disciplined response of the orchestral playing, the Gewendhaus set has a good deal to offer. The first two symphonies are attractively fresh, with the slow movement of the Second memorable. The Eroica is uncommonly fine, particularly in its nobly paced slow movement which is totally free of excessive emphasis in expression. In the Fourth Symphony Masur is particularly successful, and the Gewendhaus orchestra respond with marvellously alert playing. In the slow movement Masur brings great imagination and poetry to his reading; the homogenous, cultured orchestral sound of the Gewendhaus Orchestra and its rhythmic resilience and vitality are in themselves a sense of pleasure. ...the first set of these three Duos is certainly recommendable."

When Beethoven wrote these first four symphonies, he was well on his way to defining romanticism. He even broke some incredible new ground here; for example, it's been said that no symphony written before 1804 was as long as the Eroica. Beethoven fills the score of the Eroica with genius and ceremonial time that gives the work great significance. Of course, that work is highly recommended.

However, I can't speak as highly of this recording. Perhaps Masur is playing these works more properly than I'm accustomed to hearing them, but nevertheless, they sound too classical. Certainly, the scoring is more on the classical side of Beethoven's writing, BUT that doesn't mean that the playing can't take into account the loudness and largeness of the rest of Beethoven's career. Simply put, I feel these recordings are played too conservatively, too limitedly, too, well, classically.

That's just me, though. They are played well--all the notes are correct and they're all there--but this not the Beethoven you'd expect from Karajan or Solti or Bernstein. This is more of a Sir Neville Marriner Beethoven, but I bet that's what Masur was going for. He does it well, just not to my preference.

So, if you are looking to buy this recording because you like Philips Double-CDs (and I do, too!), or if you already have symphonies 5-9 (like I did) and are looking to get the rest, please take heed of this review. You may be disappointed.