Customer Reviews

Beethoven - The Symphonies / Augér, Robbin, Rolfe Johnson, Reinhart, AAM, Hogwood

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

perhaps the major innovation in recent classical music practice was the exploration, beginning 30 years ago, of the post baroque repertory using "authentic" musical instruments and interpretative styles. this was already an established approach for baroque and renaissance works, where authentic instruments changed the technical demands and resources of players and the entire sound experience of the performances. by now the approach has been applied to every composer from schubert to brahms (under makerras), but beethoven's symphonies were the beachhead in the "modern" repertory.

hogwood's beethoven cycle was overshadowed at the time of its release by the metrically obsessive and aimless performances of roger norrington ("dr. tick tock"), who applied "authentic" practice with a lack of musical ease ... yet over time the hogwood set just seems better and better. the AAM plays with a delightful ensemble and control: from the fingerwrenching finale of the eighth symphony to the technically fearsome valveless horns in the third, this was a performance of discovery and challenge for all the players, and they pulled it off handsomely. the tempos are authentic but there is plenty of nuance and drama in the dynamics and phrasing. the eroica has beautifully long periods, the pastoral a lively but not rushed feeling of "new life experienced in the country," and the choral finale of the ninth is glorious, all the singers in top form.

best of all, the sound is superb, with a wide dynamic range and ample soundstage and without the string harshness sometimes associated with period performance recordings. there is a sheer, transparent quality to the sound that lets the musicality shine clearly -- it's a wonderful experience. (i should mention: i own the original individual cd's, so can't comment on the packaging or booklet of the boxed set.)

I must say that I have been listening to Beethoven's symphonies for a long time. I own interpretations by Karajan, Bernstein, Norrington, and Gardiner. Hogwood's set easily towers over them all. Since John Eliot Gardiner's cycle is the most critically acclaimed I will compare it with Hogwood. In Symphonies 1,2,4, and 8 Hogwood and Gardiner's renditions are the same. When It comes the third, Hogwood leads a brisk but not rushed preformance. The AAM sound so clear and bright and play their music emotionally. With Gardiner,I feel that he just chose his outrageous tempo just to make it different from the others, his orchestra sounds so mechanical. Coming to the fifth symphony; the major difference between Gardiner and Hogwood is the final movement. Gardiner takes it at jet speed while Hogwood allows the music to unfold by itself. In the pastoral, Hogwood manages faster tempi than Gardiner but does not sacrafice the emotion of the music. Gardiner's sixth is equally impressive if one ignores the his tedious reading of the sixth's first movement. Hogwood and Gardiner's seventh do not differ that much in that Gardiner takes it slower in the last three movement of the symphony.

Now comes to all mighty ninth. Although the first three movements of the symohony sound the same, I prefer Hogwood's just because he maneges a better sound out of his orchestra. The two differ in the choral movement, Notably the "Ode to Joy" chorus. I must admitt that when I first listened to the chorus under Hogwood I thought it was going to be like Norrington's terrible reading of Beethoven's ninth. But then (I don't know how),Hogwood just made the music sound so grand that the slower tempo just seemed right. When I first heard Gardiner, I must say that adrenaline rushed through my head, but then I got bored with the recording. Other than the fast tempo Gardiner did not bring anything revolutionary to the ninth symphony.

I will just end this review by saying to the customers: Pick the interpretation that you like not the one that a music critic likes. Don't just read my review and believe that the Hogwood set is the best. Make your own descision.

Although this is a period instrument version of Beethoven's symphonies, it should also be regarded as one of the finest Beethoven symphony cycles ever recorded. Hogwood has some interesting insights into Beethoven's scores, which remain valid even after the publication of the Jonathan Del Mar-edited scores. His tempi don't seem rushed, but correct, and he tends to lead, not conduct, the Academy of Ancient Music, in brisk, technically polished performances. Hogwood's interpretations of the 3rd and 6th symphonies are among the finest I have heard, yet they are overshadowed by his magnificient conducting of the 9th symphony, featuring excellent singing from the soloists, most notably Auger and Johnson. Hogwood is also very good with his interpretations of the symphonies 1, 2, 4 and 5; the only disappointments are his pedestrian readings of symphonies 7 and 8. The sound quality is superb. I don't know whether this is preferable to Gardiner's critically acclaimed cycle, but it should still be regarded as one of the best performed Beethoven symphony cycles available on CD. Although my preferred Beethoven symphony cycles include those by Bernstein, Bohm, and Harnoncourt, Hogwood's still gives me much pleasure.

Modern critics of classical music have developed the tendency to refer to a poor performance as a "period" performance. However, when I refer to Hogwood's recording of Beethoven's symphonies as a period performance, I mean that he has focused on authenticity and faithfulness to the composer's vision. With his conducting of Beethoven, Hogwood has repeated the quality of performance for which the Academy of Ancient Music has become famous among lovers of classical music. The fifth symphony* and Egmont overture are the most inspiring I've heard. As a whole, Hogwood's recording is a very worthwhile purshase. *(note that in the third movement the scherzo and trio return in original form prior to the scherzo's ghostly transformation as per Beethoven's instructions)

Hogwood's complete set of B's symphonies easily bests the other four in our collection, which includes those by Bruno Walter/CSO, Karl Bohm/VSO, Herbert von Karajan/BPO (61-62) and Roger Norrington/LCP, plus individual recordings from a half a dozen others. Hogwood's AAM plays with energy, style and considerable skill. The recording engineers capture the rich individuality of each instrument and voice, and place them all perfectly in the gently reverberant acoustics of the two recording venues. Hogwood apparently drilled his team to perfection but directed the actual performances with a very light touch, in the authentic classical manner. No spoonsful of sugar here - expect brassy brass, bare wood on drum skins and real woodwinds. The punchy contrabasson solo in the finale of the 9th quite annoyed the cat, just as a live one would! We have the 1989 Decca/L'Oiseau-Lyre set, but this re-release should be every bit as good since the original recording was DDD. I don't know about Gardiner's set, but of all the ones I've heard this is easily the best. Highly recommended.

One is not going to hear sluggish, ponderous Beethoven on these discs (Karl Bohm's set with the Vienna PO from 1970 rings a bell). No, you will hear symphonies full of life and joy and impeccably steady tempi. The 7th is the least impressive but the sym. nos 1-6 and the 9th are just outstanding. This is one of the most consistently satisfying Beethoven sets right now. No ups and downs or 'preferred' task as with other conductors. Hogwood and the AAM convey the very soul and spirit of these works from beginning to end. Highly recommended!!

In the early 1980s I was indifferent to the use of period instruments in the music of Beethoven. I was very enthusiastic, to be sure, about the use of period instruments in Baroque and Renaissance music and I was rather partial to the sound of the Fortepiano in Mozart and Beethoven. I owned many of Collegium Aureum recordings of Mozart, J. C. Bach and Beethoven recorded in the 1970s and I enjoyed them a lot. I have a soft spot for the Collegium Aureum recording of the Triple Concerto of Beethoven, it is a favourite of mine and I've really never heard a recording I prefer over it. Strange, isn't it that Gardiner, Hogwood, Immerseel, Levin, Brüggen, Norrington, Herreweghe and the other HIP conductors and performers haven't recorded it?

I digress. Whilst walking down Chapel Street in Prahran in Melbourne one sunny Sunday afternoon with a girlfriend I walked into a music shop. I'd recently bought a CD player and I was on the look out for some good Classical recordings. I noticed the Hogwood recording of the Eroica and I had a listen to this recording on the headphones. I was astonished. In the slow movement it was as if I could hear the orchestra actually breathing. The use of fortepiano basso continuo also impressed me with the subtle colours it gave to the orchestra. Yep! I bought the disc on the spot and the rest, as they say, is history.

I love the Hogwood set because he does as little standing in the way between you and me, the listeners, and Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer, as possible. Does this make any sense? Perhaps not. However, Hogwood seemed to entrust Beethoven's written music with his players and he lets this music be itself.

The performances are exciting and moving. I like every moment in this set except the tempo of the March section of the 4th movement of the 9th Symphony, which uses the erroneous metronome mark (the tactus should be halved).

This recordings stands up incredibly well against the more recent recordings by Gardiner and Brüggen, for instance, although I think many may prefer Gardiner these days (and Brüggen's recordings are very, very good, too).

The best HIP/period Beethoven symphonies? Hard to say, but I do like the sets by Norrington, Hogwood, Gardiner, Goodman and Brüggen. As I said, I have some very warm feelings of affection for Christopher Hogwood's pioneering recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies. I bought this repackaged set a few years ago and I return to it often.

I have been familiar with Hogwood's Beethoven cycle since the 80's when I purchased several of the single disc releases. Now that I have the complete set, it has been wonderful listening to the symphonies in sequence. This set has many virtues. The tempi all seem right, there is plenty of forward momentum without ever sounding rushed or breathless. There is great definition and inner detail. The winds cherp and warble while the brass bray. After all, contemporary critics accused Beethoven of bringing the marching band into the concert hall. That sound is very much in evidence in these performances. Symphonies 1-2 are very good, 3-6 are excellant, although 7-8 are not quite up to the standard of the earlier performances, are still enjoyable. The 9th is also a most excellant performance. These performances illuminated the joy inherent in these symphonies. One minor caveat, the maniacal side of Beethoven is some what under played. The fate motive in the 5th does not really sound threatening as it has no time to linger. That being said, this is a most enjoyable Beethoven cycle to add to my Karajan '62 and Szell. Gardiner's Beethoven may have all the hype, but Hogwood's tempi, inner detail, recorded sound and balance truly bring out the "revolutionary" aspects of these great works.

By my count, there are at least six period cycles of the Beethoven symphonies available - Bruggen, Gardiner, Goodman, Hogwood, Norrington, and, most recently, Immerseel - which stretch the gambit from being extraordinary - Gardiner - to terrible - Norrington. Hogwood's cycle has been generally well received from both period enthusiasts and fans of "old school" interpretations. Hogwood's timbral pallet is exceptionally fresh, with fantastically fruity winds, gusty brass, and delightfully sinewy strings. Tutti passages are big and brash, while the general level of excitement is high. At the same time, with the exception of the Eighth, tempos are never as fast as Gardiner - much less Norrington - which suits Hogwood's very grand interpretive conceptions. For me, however, this dualist approach is the very reason Hogwood's cycle is so frustrating.

For all the air of authenticity that typically surrounds period performances, there are some very un-historic aspects to Hogwood's approach; the leisurely tempo in the "Eroica"; the un-mutted horn at the close of the "Pastorale"; and those unmarked, but very exciting, brass swells at the climax of the seventh's first movement. However, this is not as odd as you might expect. Many conductors that have success in early and baroque music long to break free from the type-casting that often occurs in the record industry. Thus, you will often find these conductors matching period orchestras and performance practices with very un-period interpretations. Bruggen did it with his Haydn and Beethoven cycles. Herrewegge did it with his Beethoven and Bruckner. And so too does Hogwood.

It is for this reason that Hogwood is typically more successful in the even numbered symphonies, which receive interpretations that are much more historically informed, than in the big-ticket symphonies. In the first, Hogwood walks the thin line between classical charm and Beethovenian energy remarkably well. The brass is kept in check throughout the outer movements, but not to the detriment of the music, while the string playing in the andante is appropriately song-like. How thrilling it is, then, that Hogwood really turns up the volume, so to speak, in the second, a reading that is stylistically much more pre-"Eroica" than post first. The boisterous allegro brims will all sorts of energy, featuring an especially debonair developmental climax and brassy coda. The larghetto always has benefited from the period treatment, the timbral nuances brought to this music by period winds is incomparable, especially at the horn-soaked climatic hymn. The horns are in similarly fine form in the bouncy scherzo, the trio of which has an infectious humor, which carries over into the finale. I do wish, however, the liner notes would address why Hogwood chose to include a period piano in this performance.

How odd then when we arrive at Hogwood's "Eroica," a fine performance on its own merits but one that is certainly not historically informed in the slightest. I have great respect for Mr. Libby, but I must disagree with his review above; this "Eroica" is the low-point of Hogwood's cycle. Stylistically, the allegro has little brio, Hogwood adopting a very relaxed, almost nonchalant approach to the music, trading energy and verve for lyric beauty. This same gentleness pervades the rather indifferent funeral march while a trio of oddly underwhelming horns cause tension to sag in an otherwise fine scherzo. In the finale, Hogwood's balletic treatment is appropriate considering the theme's origin, but why he cannot give us energy at the same time is a mystery. The large cadence before the oboe variation is more predictable than exciting while the coda could have more snap. An odd performance, not only considering Beethoven's metronome marking, but also the impressive list of faster, not to mention more engaging, "Eroica"s, such as Toscanni or Scherchen, both of which predate the period movement.

We return to the world of bumptious energy in the forth, with its quick allegro and impressive tutti passages. However, here, as in the Eighth, Hogwood's tendency to "coordinate" the performances rather than conduct them does not really pay dividends. So energetic are Hogwood's tutti passages that they sometimes fail to move forward in meaningful ways. For example, the full orchestral statement of the main theme before the bridge into the second subject is offered at one dynamic, which fails to propel the music into the tender second theme in an exciting way. However, it is a small complaint when the rest of performance is as fine as it is here, especially in the minuetto's trio and in the finale's development, where the period winds are at their idiomatic best.

With the fifth, we return to Hogwood's semi-period performance practice, with a fabulously sinewy first movement that is a scorcher of a performance, even in light of the very "traditional" sounding fermatas applied to the opening motifs. Nor are the unmarked brass swells in the tutti declamations of the main subject particularly historically informed. Still, it's exciting as hell. After the allegro, it is mostly downhill. The andante suffers under Hogwood's hands, here taken as an adagio, while the weak and wooly lower strings work their particular brand of mischief in the trio of the scherzo, thankfully - and properly - repeated. Hogwood's finale is big, brassy, and grand but is missing the sharply edged rhythmic edges that conductors like Kleiber, Dohnanyi, Gardiner, and Jarvi to name a few, bring to this music.

What sets Hogwood's "Pastorale" apart from many is the panoply of timbres he elicits from the Academy of Ancient Music, especially in the wonderful scene by the brook. Still, it is an unremarkable performance, with an underwhelming coda to the first movement and a hymn of thanksgiving in the finale missing that last ounce of presence from the lower strings.

The allegro vivace of the seventh is really quite fine, but is marred by the ridiculously loud horn playing at the tutti statement of the first theme (the horns have the same dynamic marking as all the other instruments, mind you). It's not idiomatic or thrilling but rather vulgar, especially when the horn intonation is as questionable as it is here. Still, Hogwood's ability here, as well as in the other symphonies, to make recapitulations to sound appropriately conclusory is admirable. In the finale, however, the weak lower strings rob the music of much of its inherent power and drama, especially when compared to the fabulous string playing Toscanni, Vanska, Harnoncourt, and Gardiner get from their respective bands. For example, at the beginning of the development, tension snags when the lower strings play the main rhythmic motif while the over ebullient brass create uncomfortable dynamic drop-offs when they are not playing.

In the eighth, Hogwood departs from his conventional mold and gives us a first minute allegro that is faster than just about every other performance in the catalogue, and its none the worse because of it. This tempo makes the development, which is Beethoven at his most vivacious, all the more thrilling. However, like in the forth, Hogwood's failure to properly contrast dynamics in a meaningful way takes from the music's excitement; when the orchestra reaches such a loud dynamic before the recapitulation, Beethoven's triple forte marking becomes meaningless. Still, the inner movements are perfectly paced and beautifully sung, especially by the lovely period clarinets in the minuetto's trio.

Thankfully, in the ninth, we are comfortably back in "period" territory for the most part with a quick, wind-heavy first movement. While at times the winds and horns especially have moments of uncomfortable intonation, it is still an exciting performance due to the huge, fabulously idiomatic sonorities. The same holds true to Hogwood's very quick, but fine, slow movement. The scherzo, however, is a bit less successful. First, the vibrant brass playing sometimes obscures the string rhythms, causing tension to sag ever so slightly. Secondly, there is nothing presto about Hogwood's very deliberate tempo in the trio.

In the finale, the period winds add unfathomable amounts of color to the opening fanfares while the lower string recitative passages are thankfully more successfully played than in the trios of the fifth and sixth symphonies. The soloists are fine, although the choice of male soloists is odd. Gregory Reinhart is a bright toned bass while the late Anthony Rolfe Johnson has a richer quality to his voice; in terms of timbre, it really should have been the other way around. After the very impressive "Gott" cadence, however, Hogwood again chooses to ignore Beethoven's tempo marking, adopting a very deliberate tempo for the march, making the double fugue somewhat stogy. This also makes the choral exposition of the joy theme slower than it was at the movement's onset. However, the ensuing episodes are beautifully sung and the final passages and coda are appropriately exciting, rogue piccolo and all.

Hogwood's cycle is at its best when he tends to "let go," such as in excellent second, and the very fine first, forth, and eighth symphonies. When he gets more interpretively adventurous, such as in the fifth, seventh, and ninth, the results are mixed. Still, at the end of the day, I have great admiration for this cycle and the man behind it. For one, it remains the most colorful cycle, period or otherwise, on the market. The rustic, pert winds are stunning, the horns, clams and all, shout and bray, and the strings, even in light of the afflicted lower voices, have such a fantastic timbre that the cycle always gives pleasure. As for Hogwood, I admire his willingness to make tough interpretive choices, rather than applying a one-size fits-all approach to Beethoven a la Norrington. There are certainly better cycles - Toscanni, Bohm, Szell, Vanska - but Hogwood sets deserves its success and is certainly better than some of the retched Beethoven that has appeared in recent years from Abbado, Rattle, and Plentev. He has a great love for this music and his musicians give him everything he asks. Such honest and earnest music making deserves consideration.

I have been familiar with Hogwood's Beethoven cycle since the 80's when I purchased several of the single disc releases. Now that I have the complete set, it has been wonderful listening to the symphonies in sequence. This set has many virtues. The tempi all seem right, there is plenty of forward momentum without ever sounding rushed or breathless. There is great definition and inner detail. The winds cherp and warble while the brass bray. After all, contemporary critics accused Beethoven of bringing the marching band into the concert hall. That sound is very much in evidence in these performances. Symphonies 1-2 are very good, 3-6 are excellant, although 7-8 are not quite up to the standard of the earlier performances, are still enjoyable. The 9th is also a most excellant performance. These performances illuminated the joy inherent in these symphonies. One minor caveat, the maniacal side of Beethoven is some what under played. The fate motive in the 5th does not really sound threatening as it has no time to linger. That being said, this is a most enjoyable Beethoven cycle to add to my Karajan '62 and Szell. Gardiner's Beethoven may have all the hype, but Hogwood's tempi, inner detail, recorded sound and balance truly bring out the "revolutionary" aspects of these great works.