Customer Reviews

Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a good job I wasn't eating my cereal listening to this disc. There'd be Cheerios everywhere. Osms Vanska's take on 4 & 5 is met out with a sense of purpose, in fact, a very youthful determination, which gave me the impression that the symphony moved with a dynamic I haven't heard before. Kind of like a Robert Fripp and King Crimson approach to Beethoven, via the double trio. In other words, this aint von Karajan or Ozawa. No long drawn out pathos, no sense of an older man contemplating his fate. More of an intentionality and direction is on offer here. It is a different reading, and it works, but, as I say, mind the flakes and the raisins. The Minnesota team is recorded intimately and that makes for a fascinating listen. It could be me, but I was more aware of double basses, winds, horns and tympani than I ever have with these two symphonies. If it is so, I can't help but think that LB would be smiling broadly. The Fourth begins with a barely audible whisper and whips itself into a frenzy worthy of Crimson at its most ferocious. The Fifth is, as I say, less contemplating fate than determined to address it. Both head towards those great Beethoven finales. Lord, he loved a big finish. And you'll feel completely swept away by them with an exhilaration. Quite an adrenalin rush. Often themes are slightly blurred in the Fourth. Vanska makes that something to celebrate. He must have been impressed with the results, for he moves with nary a breath from the third into the fourth movements of #5 so dramatically, that I had to check the CD spinner to see which track I was on.
It all works, and this is a dramatic new reading (for me, anyway) of two pieces I know so well that I ma thrilled by the recording. I suspect Vanska likes a quicker tempo anyway, if you refer to his reading of Rautavarra's 8th it's also one that moves along. No dawdling about navel gazing for this guy.
Well worth the price and something to get you out of bed in the morning to boot.

I was extremely skeptical of the Minnesota Orchestra's decision to release ANOTHER cycle of Beethoven symphonies in a market saturated with quality performances. With that, it took me awhile to purchase the cd, and I only did so after reading and hearing rave performance reviews. Quite simply, this cd contains the best recordings of 4 and 5 i've ever heard. Beethoven is so delicate, subtle, and intricate - difficult music the Minnesota Orchestra plays with incredible intensity and precision. The strings are very well balanced, and the low strings are OUTSTANDING, especially in the trio of the 5th. The winds are so wonderfully in tune I found myself listening to the cd again to seek out flaws, only to discover the performance is as good as I first believed. Both symphonies are paced well - moving along to stay exciting, yet not glossing over the importance and beauty of the music. I continually felt as though Vanska and the musicians had a clear sense of direction in phrasing decisions, which also aided in the overall flow of the work. The recording quality is amazing - every detail can clearly be heard, and I have yet to listen to the cd on the SACD layer. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the prominence and skill of the Minnesota Orchestra, I urge you to purchase this cd and experience the talent of this ensemble. If you remain skeptical, read the complimentary reviews for other Minnesota Orchestra cds on the Amazon website.

This is stunning. It is difficult to find words that adequately describe this wonderful recording.

Vanska doesn't break any new ground as far as any unusual interpretation of these often recorded symphonies. However, this CD demonstrates what followers of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra have known since Vanska took over as conductor in 2003: Vanska has elevated the orchestra to a new level of excellence. I'm not sure if he has pushed the musicians harder (like Szell) or is better able to draw the full potential from the musicians. Either way, this recording is an opportunity for music lovers everywhere to experience Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra. To do a Beethoven Symphony cycle as the first major recording under Vanska says a lot about the vitality and confidence of the orchestra and conductor.

The interpretation of both symphonies is fairly straightforward. The reason I think this recording is better than others I've heard is because the recording is wonderfully clear and the different sections and parts are balanced and performed perfectly. For example, the winds in the second movement of the 4th symphony are stunningly clear and play their parts perfectly. On some recordings the low strings and winds are lost or somewhat muddled, particularly in the 3rd movement of the 5th symphony. Not here! It sounds very close to a perfectly performed live concert.

Although the orchestra and conductor create the music, the recording engineer should share honors for capturing the magic on this recording. It is simply marvelous.

I fear that the bandwagon effect is at work among the five-star brigade at Amazon. Osmo Vanska has won widespread, at times extravagant praise for his now complete Beethoven cycle from Minnesota. That would lead a prospective buyer to expect something new, revolutionary, groundbreaking, and invidivual in this pairing of Sym. #4 and #5. I don't hear that at all. This sounds like a pleasant, well drilled, slightly updated version of the period style which began in the Eighties with Roger Norrington and John Eliot Gardiner. But Vanska is blander than either.

In the concert hall, you will never hear a major orchestra play flat-out in period style, but tempos have sped up, and here and there a major conductor (Rattle, Abbado, Haitink) has absorbed more of the style, reducing the string body, asking for hard sticks on the timpani, and lessening violin vibrato. But all of that is superficial. The important thing is to convey the indomitable spirit of Beethoven, who didn't see himself as pumped-up Haydn, which is what we have here. Beethoven was a full-blown revolutionary, and trying to squeeze him back into the box of pre-1800 classicism makes no sense.

Since the Fourth is the more lyrical and graceful of these two symphonies, Vanska's diluted interpretation is easier to take. The first movement is conventional in tempo, as is the flowing Adagio, here taken as an Andante, which sings nicely. The wind soloists are pleasant without being virtuosic in any way, but virtuosity isn't a must here. The Scherzo is not exceptionally fast, but Vanska has ironed out Beethoven's accents and produced a rather bland result. The finale, taken at normal tempo, is subdued too much -- it's controlled instead of rollicking or abandoned. In all, a performance that is innocuous and smooth. (If you want to hear a revoluitnary stab at the Fourth, look for Carlos Kleiber's live reading on Orfeo.)

The Fifth is a cornerstone of the Romantic movement, so diluting it feels wrong to me. Vanska's approach is Szell-lite: he keeps a steady tempo, eschew expressive rubato, and aims for precision and discipline. I can see why a whole school of listeners would prefer this style even if I don't. What I can't see is waxing ecstatic over such a cautious version of it when you can have Szell, Toscanini, and Erich Kleiber at full strength. Vanska deliberately drains the first and last movements of power, excitement, and heroism. Tempos are convenitonal throughout; the temperature is low. The playing is plesant, and the phrasing goes down easily.

If that's enough to satisfy you, as apparently it satisfies many listeners, I can't argue. Tastes change. But I thought it was worthwhile for newcomers to know what they are in for, in case they had heard that Toscanini and Furtwanglr had met their match.

This CD is a stunning achievement, certainly one of the very best recordings of either of these symphonies I've ever heard. Vanska doesn't try to break any wild new interpretive ground here, and the CD's all the better for it: he and the orchestra give us "traditional" interpretations of these two symphonies played spectacularly well. Carefully considered athletic tempi, sharp attacks, and clear inner voices give these recordings a period-instrument feel without the harsh, sometimes anemic period-instrument sound.

This CD's claim to fame is the unbelievably spot-on precision the Minnesota Orchestra delivers in both rhythm and intonation. They bring to mind the glory days of George Szell and Cleveland, but I daresay they sound even more precise. Computers couldn't bring a tighter, cleaner ensemble sound to these performances. But that's not to say they sound mechanical or lifeless: Vanska brings a warm, lush sound to this music that's steeped in carefully considered detail. Throughout this CD, minor instrumental parts that are hidden on other recordings leap out with crystal clarity, and the orchestra's subtle flexibility with dynamics and tempi give the music an extra power, sense of urgency, and utterly human quality.

My only quibble with this CD - and the reason these recordings can't quite edge out Dohnányi and Cleveland for me, even with their clearer recorded sound and greater attention to all the instrumental parts - is that although Vanska brings a lot of power to these recordings, it feels as though he never quite lets the orchestra really pull out all the stops. In other words, this recording is ever so slightly too "nice" for me; it doesn't sound as visceral and rough as I like my Beethoven to be. But that lone complaint is splitting hairs over a personal preference; there's no doubt in my mind that this is the best Beethoven symphony CD to come out of America, or maybe the world, in the last fifteen years. It's a phenomenal achievement, and as David Hurwitz astutely noted in his review, no matter how many times you've heard these symphonies, you'll hear something new when you listen to this CD. You absolutely can't go wrong by picking this one up.

Having first heard Osmo Vanska conduct the New York Philharmonic Orchestra a few years ago, I realized that I was hearing a vibrant, exciting conductor, who was not only quite passionate, but also, reflective, about the music he was conducting. He has successfully applied both traits to his directorship of the Minnesota Orchestra, forging a musical collaboration which may be remembered as fondly as George Szell's with the Cleveland Orchestra. In the relatively short time since he assumed the directorship in 2003, he has transformed the orchestra into a crack, precision orchestral ensemble which have won accolades from The New York Times and other leading publications across the globe. The Minnesota Orchestra has quickly resumed its place as one of the leading American orchestras, and over the past two nights, I have had the pleasure hearing it play exceptionally at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium, made memorable by two exciting performances of Sibelius's 5th Symphony and Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

This elegant recording of the Beethoven 4th and 5th symphonies is the first in a projected five disk/five year project undertaken by the Swedish recording label BIS and the Minnesota Orchestra, relying upon the relatively new Barenreiter Edition of Beethoven's symphony scores. It's truly no exaggeration to declare that this CD is quite simply the best recording of the Beethoven 4th and 5th symphonies by an American symphony orchestra. Vanska successfully leads the orchestra in lush, vibrant performances of both symphonies, paying attention not only to brisk tempi, but also to the scores's architecture, emphasizing details from sections as diverse as the second violins, violas, and winds. In many respects, the crowning achievement of this recording is his vibrant, vivid interpretation of the 5th Symphony, among the most exciting I've heard, nearly as passionate and as insightful as recent ones from both Haitink and Abbado (I am also pleased with his fine interpretation of the 4th symphony, except in the fourth movement (Allegro ma non troppo), which seems somewhat rushed and not nearly as transparent in its orchestral textures as those I've heard from the likes of Abbado, Zinman and Harnoncourt.). Judging from the overall excellence of this recording alone, I can see why Vanska's ongoing Beethoven symphony cycle is winning ample praise from critics and fans alike. And yet, in spite of my ample admiration for this CD, I would still rate higher those recordings from Haitink and Abbado using the Barenreiter Edition, merely for their interpretative excellence and the superlative quality of musicianship from, respectively, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker.

First off, let's acknowledge that these recordings are good. But with literally dozens of choices out there, I just don't see how they rise to the top. Maestro Vanska is perfectly capable in these works, and his interpretation is fine. The orchestra is in fine form, too. But nowhere do I hear anything "special" -- which these forces certainly are capable of delivering in the concert hall and on CD (listen to their Grieg Peer Gynt selections and you'll hear what I mean).

Actually, Minneapolis has experienced better performances of these two symphonies in the past -- and we have the record to prove it. Antal Dorati waxed them with the orchestra for Mercury Living Presence back in the mid-1950s ... those interpretations really ARE noteworthy.

This disc is my first experience with an SACD on my new player. The sound is absolutely transparent and spacious. 10/10 for sure.

Regarding the performance, I agree with other reviewers here and elsewhere that Minnesota & Vanska give an extremely polished and precise performance. The detail is remarkable; some rapidly moving lines I was totally unaware of previously are heard easily here. Intonation is flawless. Rhythms and tempi are beyond criticism. Balance and dynamic range (very wide) are both good as well.

All that said, I again agree with other reviewers that it seems Vanska never quite lets go of the reins. The attention to detail almost lends the performance an air of coldness and a somewhat reduced range of emotion. My personal preference for the Beethoven cycle remains Karajan. While I am very happy with this CD, I believe I will still add the SACD box set of Karajan's 1960's cycle to my collection.

The Minnesota Orchestra, under the leadership of Mr. Vanska, gives a superb performance of these symphonies. Being intimately familiar with these works and having performed both, I must say I have never heard them so vividly. Mr. Vanska's varied levels of dynamics are used perfectly...never over done too soon and always with touch of taste and leadership seldom heard these days. Most recordings make the fortissimo sections ALL fortissimo, without a care for the balance of form throughout the movement..or even the symphony! Mr. Vanska uses varied shadings of dynamics to allow the music to flow to its logical conclusion without the bombast, but always with a sense of purpose and planning. When Beethoven wanted it louder he notated it...and the conductor is responsible for the interpretation...not the individual performers. Mr. Vanska does all of this perfectly to my ears.

The simple things: note length, attack, release, intonation, and such are gloriously attended to by the conductor/performers and I greatly appreciate the attention to musical detail in this recording.

The playing of the orchestra is beautifully captured in glorious SACD sound. The woodwinds in particular play with grace, purity, and "pointed" tones...they always sound perfect for the time and place. The brass and strings are kept in balance by Mr. Vanska and the end result is near perfection to my ears. The last section of the orchestra, the percussion, is tastefully present and used like the century from which it spawned.

Buy this recording ASAP. It is already on my Christmas wish list.

This is the best recording of Beethovan's Fifth Symphony I have heard. Nothing is hohum about it. It made me weep, it made me laugh for joy and kept me on the edge of me seat. For a piece of music I know this well to be that exciting was a thrill. I going to use my very bland, very safe Philadelphia Orchestra version for a Frisbee or dangle it from my rear view mirror. Those who question whether another Fifth was necessary haven't heard this one. It's as new and fresh as the day Ludwig premiered it.