Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 7

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It has been said that "Other symphonies exist as works of art; the Seventh simply Is." Of the great symphonies, the Seventh is the most abstract and hence the most universal; its lyricism, rhythmic magnificence and deep humanity are unsurpassed. And no other recorded performance so perfectly realizes Beethoven's inspiration as this. The NYPO-Bernstein-CBS cycle from the early Sixties remains, as a whole, the finest cycle of Beethoven symphonies on record: Bernstein's crowning achievement. The recorded sound is excellent. And the performance is -- as my reviewing colleague has so perfectly noted -- magisterial! The energy, the beauty is at times staggering. The coda of the first movement is brimming with power (that is the part of the symphony Weber was referring to when he pronounced Beethoven as "Ripe for the Madhouse"). The hypnotic and riveting Allegretto sweeps one along in its solemn panoply (note how Bernstein points up the beautifl countermelodies). The rollicking scherzo is a delight. And the finale! An overwhelming flood of libidinous energy -- a tidal wave of the Life Force. Nowhere in the whole corpus of Western art music is there a more compelling vision of power, power as a positive, constructive force rather than dark or negative -- and Bernstein and the NYPO realize this better than anyone else, even Kleiber's famous version. (A friend, listening to this movement, said "The original audience must have wet their satin britches!") The tension and raging power are truly exciting. A word of advice -- listen to this symphony LOUD! With no other distractions! Give it your full attention and it will repay you with a remarkable artistic experience. Whoever called Classical music "boring" never really LISTENED to it-- and this piece is proof!

PS: the performance of the Second Symphony, paired on this disc, is fully worthy to stand beside this monumental Seventh. Enjoy, all!

There are now two versions of the Seventh with Bernstein and the NYPO, one recorded in 1958 and this later version from 1964. This one is far and away the better of the two, and I would go further and say this is one of the best, if not the best, version on the market. Bernstein seems to have a special relationship with this work, and the results are positively exciting. It is a magesterial reading, with bright brass, lovely strings, and rhythmic authority. Beethoven doesn't get any better than this. This version, along with the Sixth with the NYPO and his performance of the Ninth shortly before he died ("Bernstein in Berlin") are Bernstein's best efforts with Beethoven.

After toying several times with purchasing a recording of Maestro Bernstein's final performance of the Seventh at Tanglewood for sentimental reasons, I opted for the purity of a studio recording. It proved an excellent decision. The sound is crystal clear (I am nearly deaf in one ear), and happily, unlike a previous reviewer, I have detected no technical flaws in this outstanding remastering. This is Bernstein and the NYP at its zenith.

As someone who gravitates to classical works of the last 150 years or so and who does not count Beethoven among his favorite composers, the Seventh proved absolutely spellbinding to me on both initial and subsequent hearings. The first movement is the longest in terms of both time elapsed -14- and interest sustained that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The allegretto moves, for my taste, at just the right pace, not plodding, with Bernstein deftly weaving the countermelody and the composer doing a superb job of shining some light into the somewhat hypnotic, introspective movement via key change and instrumentation. The presto adds still more brightness, setting the stage for the galloping allegro, where Bernstein has the NYP stab the notes and celebrate being alive. (It's been reported that Beethoven consumed huge quantities of coffee; if so, it appears to have kicked in when he was working on this final movement.) After 40 minutes, the Seventh comes to a crisp, jubilant ending, not with a drawn-out formulaic close, but with a brisk run to the finish line and a clean, final note. And throughout, Beethoven gives us not one, but several beautiful melodies to be explored and savored, never overstaying his welcome.

This is a wonderful way to remember the genius of Bernstein - not frail under a gloomy sky at Tanglewood but at the height of his powers, conducting his very own philharmonic in the city he called home.

Five-plus stars.

Kleiber's recording of the Seventh gets all the acolades (and it's an excellent recording, no doubt about it), but for my money nobody has ever matched Bernstein's magisterial 1964 recording with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The tempos are absolutely perfect and the Philharmonic are on fire here. This rendition of the Seventh really is "the apotheosis of the dance" (to quote Wagner's famous characterization of it). Their recording of the Symphony No. 2 is likewise thrilling. Buy this disc now.

This is certainly an example of just how fine Bernstein could get his orchestra to play. The Second symphony of Beethoven is a real treat. The Slow movement solo by Stanley Drucker on clarinet is absolutely flawless and every nuance is superb. In fact, this Beethoven 2 is really on of the very best ever done. There are few orchestras in the world who can play the Beethoven D Major this well, and I doubt you could find any recent recordings that are on par with this level of excitement and committment.

The Seventh has always been a tricky piece, and my only criticism is the sound is certainly not better than Kleiber's on DG with the Vienna. What is so enjoyable is the obvious ease with which the NYP can produce such wide dynamics without any intonation flaws. Incredible playing...also check out the Mahler reissues in this series...they are played beyond reproach!

I own about a dozen recordings of this great symphony, and I've heard a dozen more. This recording is my absolute favorite. It sizzles. I can't think of a single criticism to make against it; not a single solitary minuscule quibble.

Sure, Kleiber's recording is very good; so is Klemperer's and Walter's and Monteux's, etc. But this is the one I keep coming back to. And it doesn't appeal only to the cognoscenti: Whenever I want to introduce one of my pop-music-listening friends to classical music, THIS is the recording I give them. It hardly ever fails to hook them on classical.

Bernstein recorded the Beethoven 7th four times to my knowledge, twice with the NY Phil., a decade later with the Vienna Phil., and finally (though not by intention) as a valedictory with the BSO that DG released after his death using FM broadcast tapes. The version here is the second New York one from 1964. It's substantially the same as his earlier one from 1958, the main difference being that the Scherzo is slower here and proceeds with more swagger, while the finale is a touch more vigorous. In either case, the performance is fine in an easy, somewhat undiscipined way. The intensity of Karajan and Carlos Kleiber aren't in evidence, nor the brio and precision of the CSO under Reiner.

Actually, the real gem here is the ebullient and totally captivating Sym. #2. It's played with large forces--LB didn't see the early Beethoven symphonies as Haydnesque--but there's lightness in Bernstein's touch, along with abundant humor. The NY Phil. plays with humor and verve--in all, a great eprformance that is one of the highlights of Bernstein's first Beethoven cycle. This is the five-star performance.

I would love to give this performance the accolades that others have afforded it. It is truly a fine performance and certainly enjoyable to experience. But, like so many conductors, Bernstein misses the mark.

To begin, this is an excellent recording. The engineers did the Philharmonic proud. The orchestra is spread out in a semi-circle close in front of the listener. This is how the music must have sounded to the conductor. The disc is happily free of distortion and the balance is superb. One of the best sounding recordings of Beethoven I have heard. The New York Philharmonic plays so very well, it proves it is a world class ensemble - or surely was 40 years ago.

As much as I want to like this performance, I must take issue with Bernstein's interpretation. This is a "standard" performance, of the ilk we have heard for many years, played beautifully but with little to excite the emotions. In this symphony, Beethoven is making music that reaches for one's soul. If the performance does not leave a tear in your eye and a lump in your throat, the conductor has missed the point.

I love this symphony. It speaks to my heart and my heart leaps up in response. But it speaks loudest and best when the performance sings and dances with abandon. I can't help but believe that Beethoven intended the music to be unrestrained, perhaps orgiastic. The last movement is best played when it is frenzied and wildly exuberant. Think in terms of Dionysian revel because I think that is exactly what Beethoven was striving to express. This performance is much too "classical," much too polite.

The horns must be heard. Here they are often muted. The rhythm must catch the listener up and not let go. The audience must feel exhausted, perhaps, and a sense of release when the last strains die away.

There is a recorded performance by Barry Wordsworth and the Royal Philharmonic that approaches this kind of experience. If you love the 7th, you should get this recording and listen to the symphony as I think Beethoven intended for it to be performed. This is no namby-pamby work. It is not "symphonic," it is gritty and raw. It should be, as one reviewer disparages, in your face. That is the enjoyment of it and it is Beethoven speaking directly to your heart.

Beethoven's 7th is my favorite symphony, and unlike many who are enamored by the second movement Allegretto, my favorite movement is the first, essentially the main section Vivace. For years my favorite performance was this one by Bernstein/NYPO/1964. I agree with the other reviewers here on its many fine qualities. Bernstein nicely balances the two sets of qualities mentioned by the British Penguin reviewers. On the one hand this music must have the usual Beethovenian energy, power and tension. On the other hand it must even more display the charms of the dance, considerable lilt, a sense of joy, a hint of Bel Canto. (I dislike the Kleiber/VPO and Karajan/BPO/1977 performances because they over-emphasize the former qualities at the expense of the latter. Karajan/BPO/1963 is better in this regard. I have not heard Karajan/BPO/1983.)

However, I have come to agree with Ritter who writes in Morin's "CLASSICAL MUSIC: THE LISTENER'S COMPANION" that this Bernstein NYPO performance has a "thunderous" quality, a thumping or pounding, in the first movement Vivace. I must disagree with some of the other reviewers here in that I hear the problem as one of balance in the recorded engineering. In the tutti the timpani especially and to some extent the cellos and basses stand out with way too much prominence creating this pounding sensation. The ultimate responsibility would seem to rest with Bernstein as undoubtedly he listened to the play-back and OK'd it. This problem is not present in other top performances of the 7th including Bernstein's own later rendition in Vienna.

I have not discarded this Bernstein/NYPO disc and still listen to it on occasion, but it had dropped in my list of favorites behind a few other performances of the 7th that I have, including Bernstein/VPO, performances that better manage both types of balance.

I had initially set out to find a recording of Beethoven's seventh symphony when I had stumbled onto this. Seeing Bernstein's name was what compelled me to buy this particular recording. After listening, I was convinced that I had never heard Beethoven the right way before. Bernstein's vigor and enthusiasm for Beethoven's music overwhelm the pieces, particularly in the second movement of the second symphony, that one cannot help but connect to the music in the most personal way possible.

Bernstein was a genuine music lover and any lover of music will understand his interpretations and feelings toward these pieces. This is a must have for any collector or Beethoven fan. No matter what, this is a great addition to any musical library.