Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies / (5) Overtures, Opp. 43;62;72b,c;84

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is Bernstein in his prime conducting the greatest symphonies ever composed, with the world's greatest symphony orchestra, the VPO. Bernstein never failed to put his individual stamp on interpretations, and these recordings are no exception. I like the "live" feel of the recordings, with numbers 3,6,7, and 9 particularly good. If you live in the U.S. the only way to purchase nos. 1,2,4,7, and 8 is in this set. You currently cannot purchase them individually (unless you order it from overseas). Number 7 is one of the best ever recorded in my opinion, and number 9 is the best of Bernstein's three versions available. The only letdown was number 5, which is quirky. On the whole a great set.

Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic enjoyed a great musical partnership which spanned nearly two and a half decades. Bernstein's excellent Beethoven symphony cycle was one of the finest recordings he did for Deutsche Grammophon. Admittedly the sound quality isn't as refined as a studio recording, but these are very good to exceptional performances of Beethoven's symphonies. The only major disappointment is his reading of the 5th symphony, which isn't nearly as inspiring as Bohm's - or especially Kleiber's - with the Vienna Philharmonic. His splendid reading of the 3rd Symphony is far more elegant than any I have heard from Karajan. Other great performances include those of the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 9th symphonies. The two finest performances are of the 7th and 8th symphonies, with Bernstein's riveting account of the 7th almost as fine as Kleiber's. Unfortunately, Deutsche Grammophon's inadequate placing of recording microphones resulted in less than optimal sound quality; for example one can not easily distinguish between the woodwind and string sections in the Vienna Philharmonic's performance of the 3rd symphony. Yet despite these flaws I have found Bernstein's Vienna Philharmonic Beethoven symphony cycle as enjoyable as Bohm's and far superior to any I have heard from Karajan.

Bernstein in New York was the essence of "American" Beethoven: dynamic, extroverted, heedless of Germanic conventions, totally displaced from the long line leading from Nikisch to Furtwangler and Klemperer. In Vienna he lost his American perspective, but the one he gained wasn't better. The Viena Phil play wonderfully, as always, but this is their composer, not Bernstein's. In general the readings are much more fleet and small-scalled than in NY, and although nothing is wrong exactly, not a single performance, to my mind, is better than what he did before--the sound is certainly no great shakes, being dry and uninvolving. Bernstein shouldn't have tried to compete on hallowed gorund, not in Beethoven, at least. His Fidelio from Vienna is the one exception, but these readings aren't.

I am a great fan of Bernstein. I believe he is (was) great in every recording he has made although I know that the critics won't agree. All the symphonies are great but for me the crown of this set are the No 5,6,7. Apsolutely magnificent. Although I also have Karajan's early cycle (1963) and I have heard his 1977 cycles I think Bernstein is much better.

I was really surprised when I first listened to this Beethoven cycle because I thought I was not sitting in a theater in Vienna but Broadway. Anyway, it's not a really bad choice if you want to try something different after enjoying too many Beethoven's Symphony cycles. However, it would be better to try Bohm/Wiener Philharmoniker, Karajan/Berliner Philharmoniker, Szell/Cleveland, Masur/Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Klemperer/Philharmonia, Solti/Chicago Symphony or Haitink/Concertgebouw Amsterdam first.

This is, without a doubt, one man's interpretation of Beethoven's nine symphonies. But when that one man is Leonard Bernstein, you're in good hands. The Vienna Philharmonic sounds rich and engaged (if wind-heavy), and are obviously willing to follow Bernstein wherever he takes them.

The addition of a disk's-worth of overtures only sweetens the deal. This might not be your reference set of the symphonies, but it is a striking alternate look at some classic scores.

I have the Karajan 1960's Beethoven cycle as well as the more recent Harnoncourt cycle. They are both excellent and enjoyable. I also have several recordings each of all the individual Beethoven symphonies. All have their strong points and some single symphony recordings are stronger than some of the individual symphonies from Bernstein's Vienna cycle. But, as a whole, this complete set of symphonies remains my favorite. If you're not into Bernstein, you will not favor these recordings. If you are a Lenny fan, like I am, you will love this set.

Recording Beethoven symphonies in the late seventies was at least as problematic as today. Profound and excellent interpretations were made (Furtwängler, Walter, etc.), but many of them incorporated a Beethoven myth generated in the 19th century including heroism, grimness, a kind of mawkish humanity. Apart from being authenthic (what is authentic?), Bernsteins recording was the only way to bring beethoven to our time and it was a revelation. The 1. and 2. symphony were played as if one could see and hear the process of composition and simultaneously the final achievment of these opera. The 5. is indeed fee from dust and the sixth is marvellous, the VPO playing at their best. The peculiar (viennese) instruments they use give additional delight, such as the horns in the final SATZ. Who ever hears this symphony with Bernstein/VPO will be primed forever. Who neglegts the 8. will find the optimal performance and i cannot understand the sense of performing this wonderful symphony with original instruments: just compare gardiner. The high speed of the 2nd and 3rd set of this symphony makes sense and is in no way a mannierism of "Lenny". Although I was not present at the performance of the 9.th, the impression of this event must have been extraordinary according to those people that were there. Nearly unspeakable and not to explain was this performance with its searching and serious account of the 3rd set, and it is incredible to have this event on disc.These recordings live without a ridiculous kind of Mythos and Pathos, but are live, true and vivid.

This Collectors Edition is a complete waste of money. First the disks are mislabled as to the symphony being played. Secondly, Bernstein alternates between music too faint to hear and clashes that would damage your eardrums. Deutsche Grammophon made no attempt at editing.

I wrote the review titled "One of the best sets around" and I have an addendum to make to my review. Some of the symphonies previously unavailable seperately in the U.S. are now available through DG's "Bernstein in Vienna" discs (no. 7 most notably). However, I would still recommend just buying the whole set if you are going to buy them all anyway.