Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Symphonies

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

 

 

If ever there was a doubt over Abbado's ability over ten years to clear the cobwebs created by Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic then this is it. Whilst many people might greet this cycle with a cry of "ANOTHER Beethoven cycle???" they do it at their peril. Using the critically acclaimed new editions prepared by Jonathan Del Mar, Abbado puts together a cycle of rare insight and vision. Unlike John Eliot Gardiner who sacrifices beauty for speed, Abbado in this cycle not only adopts a faster approach to many of the symphonies than Karajan but still manages to pay as much attention to detail to the articulation and phrasing required in such complex works, with astoundingly clear results. At all times the Berliners deliver clear and highly skilled (would we expect anything less??) playing, responding well to Abbado's direction. Highlights are the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th symphonies, the latter receiving one of the freshest and most astounding performances in years. Take a chance and buy this set, it worth every cent and you will playing it for years to come. And not an original instrument in sight either.....

These are, as other people wrote, not ordinary Beethoven symphony recordings. There are many many recordings, but this set is superior to many. The score used for the recording is the newest version which I think is very accurate. If you know the symphonies well, you will find them different. There is a slight shift of the focus of the tone in this version because of the new edition. The overall impression is very fresh and clean. Compared to highly acclaimed Karajan's recordings of the 70's, there seems to be brighter and clean in the sounds in this one. Karajan's recordings have oil-painting like qualities. The sound is very thick and dark. The resulting sound is thoroughly modern. Abbado's recordings have water-colour painting like qualities. This was achieved in part by reducing the size of the orchestra. He is more classical in his approach.

This is a great cycle of Beethoven symphonies. It could be a new definitive cycle due to Claudio Abbado's virtually faithful adherence to the new Jonathan Del Mar-edited scores and the Berlin Philharmonic's warm, crisp playing that is more reminiscent of a chamber orchestra than a major symphony orchestra. This is undoubtedly due to Abbado's decision to use a smaller orchestra, in an effort to create music more evocative of the early 19th Century without using original instruments. Sure, there are a couple of glaring flaws, most notably the excessive speed through which Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic rush through the finale of the 7th Symphony. I concurr with Amazon's reviewer in his comparison of Abbado's and the Berlin Philharmonic's two recordings of the 9th symphony; the earlier Sony version is a bit more electrifying than the one for Deutsche Grammophon. Yet there is much to be admired in this new cycle, starting with what is unquestionably the best recorded - and performed - digital version of the 3rd Symphony. The employees at my favorite used CD store in New York City speak highly of this cycle; after hearing it in its entirety, I join them in their lavish praise.

This is an impressive set. Recording the complete symphonies is sometimes done just for the challenge. There are plenty of versions available that were done just to show a conductor worthy. These versions suffer from routine performances and no new angles to see. Although the Abbado set, marking the first release on DVD by DG, could be considered a challenge, Abbado has plenty of new things to say. There are cheaper sets available, but even the presentation of the Abbado set matches its quality in sound. It goes back to another age when music connoseurs could purchase a nice booklet with pictures and musical examples for a little extra cost of the regular set (RCA's Soria series). The Berlin Philharmonic play superbly and the chorus(es) are well disciplined in the Ninth. This set is ideal for those who seek the architecture in Beethoven's symphonies. I own and am familiar with the original LP sets of Karajan and Toscanini. This is a fabulous addition to my collection and it is worth the price.

I purchased this set one week after having been priveledged to see Abbado and the Berliners perform Beethoven's 5th, 6th, and 7th at Carnegie Hall on two consecutive nights. The playing I heard those evenings was astounding - I don't think I've ever heard an orchestra remotely as good. The musicians played with utter committment and passion, from the concertmaster to the last music stand of the second violins - it took my breath away. Each of the string sections played so precisely together, it produced an intensely focused sound - which I found remarkable, especially in the lower strings - the cellos, and even double basses, where you don't frequently hear such nimble, tight playing - in other orchestras, anyway. And when was the last time you noticed exactly what the violas were doing? There was nothing these musicians could not do. At any dynamic,from a triple pianissimo to a tripple fore, and at any tempo, each note sounded with precise ensemble - whole massive runs of 32nd notes at some breakneck tempos, all executed with precise ensemble, clarity, and all of it beautifully phrased. And don't get me started on the beautiful solo playing by various members of the orchestra. All I can say is, "Lovely, lovely, lovely."

Abbado produced a sound that was both powerful yet supple and transparent.Inner voices were allowed to shine through. This listener had the impression of having heard something quite fresh and new. He balanced gossamer-thin pianissimos against playing that was rhthymically intense and driving. At the climax of the 7th I found myself actually proprelled out of my seat - literally knocked off my chair.

These new Deutche Grammophon recordings beautifully capture all that I heard live in New York on a night I won't soon forget. Each disk brings the performances vividly to life. The sound is clean, transparent, and well balanced. I can find nothing to fault this set. Even the packaging is handsome - sensible and well-designed. My advice - choose "overnight shipping."

As Abbado writes in the liner notes of this set he is guided by the new critical edition of Beethoven's symphonies by Jonathan Del Mar, which he apparently follows quite closely, but which apparently allows some freedom of choice. According to Abbado he does depart from Del Mar's printed score in a few places. It seems that this in addition to the use of a modern orchestra makes these performances somewhat of a balance between authentic period and modern. However, they are closer in spirit, definitely in tempo and leanness of texture to period performance.
All of the playing is very "fleet of foot" and technically precise with perfect ensemble with the possible exception of the final movement of no.7 in which they almost seem to lose control and can't quite maintain
tempo because to put it bluntly it is almost ludicrously fast. Otherwise no. 7 is almost dead on. Symphony no.8 is Beethoven's funniest; none the less Abbado chooses a tempo for its final movement which is which is simply wacky.
Symphony no.9 is exceptionally well played and generally satisfying but a little too light weight. It is not a very lofty or spiritual performance
but it is very human one. Many conductors have emphasized the lofty aspects of this great work to the point of its detriment making it somewhat heavy and draggy. But Abbado probably goes too far away from that. It is a very human work by a very eccentric, human person but it aspires to the best in humanity. This performance could have benefited greatly from more of a sense of aspiration and perhaps some slightly slower tempos movements 2-4. But the final bars are not to be missed. They are taken at such a breakneck tempo without missing a beat or note
while retaining most of the drama; simply astonishing.
Symphonies nos. 1,2,4,and 5 are simply the best recorded versions available because although there may be other versions as equally well performed they do not have the same claim to authenticity along with modern instruments that these do. Other authentic or period performances simply do not measure up. The only fault I would give would be the opening of no.5 which lacks sufficient punch for it to equal the over all performance. Appropriately, the repeat has a little more almost making up for the openings slight weakness.
Although symphony no. 3 is also of very high quality it is somewhat less convincing and has a lot of competition out there. David Zinman's recording of the third with the Tonhalle Orchestra on Arte Nova might even be better.
I love Abbado's take on the sixth. It has the energy of other more authentic performances but is absolutely lovely. It is also very fun. The tempos of most movements are faster than more typical recordings especially the second movement "Scene By the Brook" which at 11:06 is the fastest I know of by at least 50 seconds. It does not really sound rushed and adds a dance like energy. Judging by the timing on Roger Norrington's recording of the sixth, Abbado's fifth movement "Shepherd's Song' at 8:26 is about 20 seconds faster than Beethoven's metronome markings which is reasonable and gives it lilting quality making it as much a celebration as a prayer which I think Beethoven had in mind. This version may not be lofty enough to make it the "greatest ever" but it may well be my favorite.
My biggest problem with this set may be that it could have been possibly the greatest one ever but the recording engineers blew it with rather distant sound which is much lacking in presence. Although it is quite clear and has body across all frequencies it is simply not worthy of the performances contained on these discs. It only worsens the slight lack of impact of the fifth symphonies opening. It is my thought they probably did not adjust for the reduced size of the orchestra used in these recordings. I don't know if this recording can be fixed but if it can the
the label should do so and replace the discs of everyone who bought this set. If it can't the label, conductor and orchestra should consider going back and doing the whole thing over again and along with the sound use it as an opportunity to fix the few problems with the performances and issue the new recording at a discount to those who purchased the first one.

This Abbado BPO live Beethoven Symphony cycles is one of my favorites. I love the DVDs. This set would be a good choice for introducing your non classical friends to Beethoven and classical music. Especially the much more lively Italian audiences on the DVDs covering symphonies 1 to 8 verses the rather lethargic Berlin audience on the 9th symphony DVD.

You have your choice of going with the CDs or DVDs. You can look before you leap. The DVDs are available thru Netflix and the CD discs have been posted at Rhapsody.

I greatly enjoyed seeing how the music and the audience affect the conductor. For Abbado, Beethoven is not the same as the Beach Boys singing in concert "Good Vibrations" for the 200th time. He really loves the music and it does affect him. At the end of a couple of the symphonies Abbado is gasping for air! The playing and conducting is superb and the recorded sound is awesome.

The DVDs have a substantial interview with Abbado where he describes the process and the research that went into this production.

It is assumed by many that the current crop of Beethoven symphony recordings is more historically tuned in since they utilize corrected scores, smaller orchestras where appropriate, sometimes "period instruments," and Beethoven's metronome markings. Abbado's live cycle with the Berlin Phil is part of this new way of doing Beethoven.

But is it really new? The faster performance times had their start at least by the very early 1960s. Karajan's famous cycle is just one example. Rene Leibowitz's cycle (Spring 1961) with Beecham's Orchestra (The Royal Philharmonic) is a prime example. Leibowitz utilized Beethoven's tempi markings, a smaller orchestra when called for, and he made hundreds of corrections to his in print score based on his own research. His 9th clocks in at about an hour (about the same as Abbado's), while three famous 9th's by his contemporaries (Cluytens, Klemperer, & Bruno Walter) clock in at more than an hour and ten minutes.

This is brilliant Beethoven set for the Twenty First Century, with a far greater understanding of Beethoven's music than Karajan ever managed to produce with this outstanding orchestra. Only the third fails to convince, since it is far away from the standard of the powerful performances we have in Klemperer's or Furtwängler's accounts. Nonetheless, on balance, this is probably the best contemporary set we have, when compared with some of other recent DDD sets (Barenboim, Wand, Zinman). And it is far better than some other, older famous sets as well (e.g., Karajan's overrated 1963 cycle).

Sound quality is outstanding, with presence, clarity, dynamics, and detail.

Finally, soloists in #9 are also excellent: K. Mattila, V. Urmana, T. Moser, T. Quasthoff. In particular, I think Quasthoff is among the very best that we now have on record in the baritone part (together with Talvela, for Schmidt-Isserstadt).

Consequently: strongly recommended.

The recording industry is in such bad shape now that only the most super of superstar conductors can release a complete set of Beethoven symphonies. EMI opted for Simon Rattle with the Vienna Phil. while DG bet on Abbado with the Berlin Phil. Both conductors declared that they had totally rethought these canonical works, which is code for "I have something to offer beyond Karajan."

They have, in a way. Both sets feature faster tempos, leaner ensembles, a less grand approach, and diminished heroism and Romanticism. If that is how you like modern Beethoven--not cut to the bone a la Gardiner, Norrington, and other "authentic" conductors but not fat and sluggish like Barneboim and other traditionalists--then Abbado and Rattle should appeal to you. On a competitive basis they come out neck and neck.

The one-star reviewer compalins bitterly about the unsatisfactory sonics on the Abbado set. It was also my experience that DG didn't do as good a job as they might have, but unfortunately EMI gives Rattle somewhat tight, boxy, shrill sound as well.

In neither case do I hear best-of-class readings of any symphony, and the rethinking often slides by without making a strong impression in the absence of total commitment, which Klemperer, Furtwangler, Toscanini, and Karajan brought to Beethoven, each in a different way. Rattle and Abbado have superficially jazzed up the symphonies, but Rattle reverts to the old ways more often--the Adagio to his Ninth, for example, has no period flavor at all.

The fact that these two maestros seem about equal suprised me, though, because Rattle has studiously avoided Beethoven almost his entire career while Abbado has been devoted to him for decades. Rattle's live concert performance of Fidelio with substandard singers was no great shakes, but Abbado has yet to hit one out of the park, either, having turned in a disappointing live Beethoven Ninth on Sony, some quite lackluster symphonies with the vienna Phil. when he was much younger, and a so-so set of concerti with Pollini.

It makes an impact when two high-profile ocnductors declare that period proponents like Norrington, Harnoncourt, and Gardiner were right. If I had to, I would choose the Abbado set, since Rattle is just starting out as a Beethovenian. But I don't expect to return to either cycle very often.

abbado's cycle brings the "original instruments" movement into the symphonic mainstream. leading a very traditional orchestra made vigorous by many new, younger players, paring the forces to a smaller ensemble, and following in most respects the best recent "critical" edition of beethoven, abbado successfully makes the faster tempi, lighter textures and original bowing sound like, well, like the way beethoven was always meant to be played.

what struck me immediately was the incredible ensemble, which comes through both in the clarity of very fast passagework (every note perfectly distinct) and in the remarkably sure phrasing, even in the inner voices, no matter what the tempo or dynamics. the recording is exceptionally crisp, which also creates a wonderful transparency: no matter how raucous or pianissimo things get, every note comes through. abbado's schubert recordings with the chamber orchestra of europe (the ensemble harnoncourt used for his beethoven cycle) surely started him thinking in this direction.

abbado eliminates most of the rhetorical flourishes typical of earlier beethoven practice, but he does not slavishly follow the new edition or go for the "tick tock" authentic sound. furtwangler is his conducting idol, and his goal is above all to make compelling music. the fire and joy in the recordings seems to demonstrate a great rapport between conductor and crew; everyone clearly had a great time playing these works.

the booklet contains a meager essay by beethoven scholar joseph kerman, but an unexpectedly funny interview with abbado on performance practice. over several pages he takes every opportunity the interviewer offers to spurn the vienna philharmonic -- old men, 19th century practice, "we've always played it that way" attitude, don't hire women, soft sound, etc. -- and this recording seems to be a declaration that performance styles have changed for good. i love my old bohm recordings with the vienna po, but on the main point abbado is surely right: this is a beethoven cycle that the present vienna philharmonic could never, and would never, emulate.