Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Egmont Overture

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Arturo Toscanini (Conductor), NBC Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: NBC Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Arturo Toscanini
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (November 24, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: RCA / BMG
• ASIN: B00000F1BP
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,494 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Symphony No. 1 In CMaj, Op. 21: Adagio molto - Allegro con brio

2. Symphony No. 1 In CMaj, Op. 21: Andante cantabile con moto

3. Symphony No. 1 In CMaj, Op. 21: Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace

4. Symphony No. 1 In CMaj, Op. 21: Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace

5. Symphony No. 2 In DMaj, Op. 36: Adagio molto - Allegro con brio

6. Symphony No. 2 In DMaj, Op. 36: Larghetto

7. Symphony No. 2 In DMaj, Op. 36: Scherzo - Trio

8. Symphony No. 2 In DMaj, Op. 36: Allegro molto

9. Egmont Overture, Op. 84

Disc: 2

1. Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Maj. Op 55 'Eroica': Allegro con brio

2. Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Maj. Op 55 'Eroica': Marcia funebre: Adagio assai

3. Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Maj. Op 55 'Eroica': Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Trio

4. Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Maj. Op 55 'Eroica': Finale: Allegro molto - Poco andante - Presto

5. Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Maj, Op. 60: Adagio - Allegro Vivace

6. Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Maj, Op. 60: Adagio

7. Menuetto: Allegro vivace

8. Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Maj, Op. 60: Allegro ma non troppo

Editorial Reviews

This CD plays the performance of Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphonies # 1,2,3 & 4 by Artuto Toscanini

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beethoven's & Toscanini's Genius in Greatly Improved Sound, July 13, 2001

By 

Hank Drake (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

I was skeptical when these new CDs were issued. My thoughts were that the early 1990s Complete Toscanini reissue was probably the best that could be humanly done to restore the very pinched and nasal sounding originals. Since I had already bought half of that set, I wasn't about to spend more of my hard-earned money on a marginally improved RE-reissue.

I was wrong. In 1997, RCA totally reorganized and inventoried its massive vaults, which had been in disarray for decades. As a result, many original sources which had been declared "lost" were now "found." This new remastering is strikingly improved sonically over all earlier issues. Utilizing the best technology now available, RCA has also done the right thing by hiring a musician--conductor Ed Houser--rather than whiz-bang technicians to supervise the remastering. The NBC Symphony Orchestra now sounds better than ever before, with greater clarity, smoother strings, fuller winds, and less blotting out during fortissimos.

Perhaps no conductor of the 20th Century has been as misunderstood as Arturo Toscanini, as evidenced by the critical backlash with which he was assailed in the years after his death. That criticism was partly in reaction to the equally unbalanced adulation heaped upon him during his lifetime. I remember once mentioning to an acquaintance my admiration for Toscanini's Beethoven and Brahms, and he shot back, "He conducts everything too fast!" In fact, in comparison with other recordings and broadcasts of his era, Toscanini's conducting was not generally faster than average. In relation to TODAY'S phlegmatic tempos, however, Toscanini's pacing is definitely brisk. But what most people are hearing as fast is, in fact, Toscanini's characteristic rhythmic vitality and, occasionally, drive, which brings the faster movements to sparkling life. Likewise, the slow movements are never dragged, and glow with Italianate warmth.

It is worth noting that, for this issue, RCA has replaced the 1949 studio recording of the "Eroica" with Toscanini's more dynamic 1953 live performance. RCA does not credit the liner notes, but they are reprints of Mortimer H. Frank's excellent notes originally written for the early 1990s CD release.

RCA has so far only released Toscanini's core repertoire with the NBC Symphony--but they are more than welcome additions to the catalogue. The Maestro's recordings with the New York Philharmonic, and The Philadelphia Orchestra should also be remastered, post-haste. Then, RCA, which has given us magnificent reissues of Kapell and Rubinstein, should get to work and replace their botched Vladimir Horowitz reissue from the 1990s, using this magnificent Toscanini reissue as a template.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toscanini - Beethoven: The magic reveiled....., April 19, 2003

By 

Ytzan "Yannis" (Athens, GR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

I was very reluctant to buy this set. First because of the mono sound and then because of Toscanini's fast tempos that in my mind would harm the music. Well, I was wrong. The sound is not bad at all for its' age and the fast tempos bring a new vitality to the music. A winner!!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 1953 Toscanini Eroica (2), July 18, 2001

By 

a music fan (Okayama, Okayama Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 / Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

To my ears, the last 3 minutes of the fourth movement of the Beethoven 7th( from 03:26 to 6:42 elapsed time in tr. 4 ) are the only sonic improvement in the Toscanini Beethoven Red Seal CD set over the earlier Gold Seal CD release, and, judging by the tympani playing at 04:52 and others, come from a different performance(the November 9, 1951 dress rehearsal?).