Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Solti

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Georg Solti (Conductor), Yvonne Minton (Performer), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Pilar Lorengar (Performer), Stuart Burrows (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Yvonne Minton, Pilar Lorengar, Stuart Burrows
• Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Georg Solti
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (May 10, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041Y0
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,961 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My review from the other side, May 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Solti (Audio CD)

This version of Beethoven's Ninth is outstanding in its choral work and the quartet of soloists. We often have a situation where the tenor is weak, or the bass is weak, or the soprano is weak, or the alto is weak. not so here. Talvela will take the breath out of you with his bass entry - rock solid and ringing out gloriously "Oh friends, not these sounds anymore". Burrows was an underrated tenor. Here his tenor line soars searingly and thrillingly above the chorus at the end of the march. Compare Karajan's 1977 version where the chorus had to be made to almost disappear so that the tenor could be heard. Minton is as strong as any other alto in any other recording. Lorengar, although not in the scharwkopf class (1951 Bayreuth Furtwangler) still gives an outstanding performance that outshines most other recordings. The other star is of course the Chicago Symphony Chorus. How many times has the chorus in the "Choral Symphony" been a disappointment? Not so here. I haven't heard a better chorus to be honest - not Klemperer's Philharmonia, not Karajan's 1963 or 1977 recording, not Furtwangler, not Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir..... Yes, the choral work here is nothing short of superb.
Get this. One of the most magnificent Choral Symphony ever comitted to disc. Believe me, I collect Beethoven's Ninth. It doesn't get much better than this.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solti Delivers A Furtwangler-esque Conception with Great Sound and Tremendous Choral Work!, November 7, 2006

By 

dv_forever (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Solti (Audio CD)

Right from the opening, you know this one is going to be special. Solti definitely has listened to a lot of Furtwangler in preparation to confront Beethoven and his 9th Symphony. The tempos are broad in the opening movement and especially spacious in the adagio. Solti is not a questing, spiritual conductor like Wilhelm Furtwangler was and that's most readily felt in the adagio where Solti's communicate powers are not in the same league as that of the great German maestro. Be that as it may, I personally think that this Solti performance is one of the most powerful and hypnotizing since the days of Furtwangler. I think in many ways Solti simply modeled his concept of the 9th on the famous Furtwangler Bayreuth performance from 1951. Solti is certainly not basing his ideas on the searing, cataclysmic passions of Furtwangler's wartime 9th. Nor is Solti as full of drama and adrenaline as the great Karajan version from 1962 for instance. Solti does his own thing and does it rather well, this is a well breathed, spacious, dignified account that is not lacking in drama. Some listeners who are used to more modern day accounts might find the tempos of the 1st and 3rd movements a bit tedious but the scherzo and especially the great finale are well worth the purchase of this CD.

The first movement is immense, the whole thing is mesmerizing in it's thunderous procession. Decca provides outstanding analogue sound with plenty of bass so the lower instruments and the percussion have great impact. The development section and recapitulation are very dramatic and the whole movement elicits outstanding playing from the Chicago orchestra, although it's far slower than Karajan for instance but about on par with Furtwangler in Bayreuth.

The scherzo does not let up any in it's fierce attack but the lyricism of the contrasting trio section is played exceptionally. Solti takes one too many repeats in the scherzo, I typically fast forward that extra repeat which most conductors skip over. Solti himself skipped it in his later digital recording from 1986.

The adagio is very beautiful indeed and played at this spacious tempo you can truly revel in it's gorgeous delights even though the profundity of Furtwangler eludes Solti. For the most part I think Solti is a rapturous success here regardless of the fact that he can't compare with that master.

The final movement has some of the best choral work ever recorded. Margaret Hillis is the famed director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and they sound amazing in this recording. The soloists make one hell of a team with Martti Talvela truly standing out in his declamatiion, " O Freunde, nicht diese Tone!" What a voice on this guy!

This is a special recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony along with several other classic accounts like Furtwangler's wartime 1942 performance, the famous Bayreuth account from 1951 as well as Karajan's recordings from 1962 and 1977 plus Gunter Wand's digital rendition on RCA. I wouldn't hesitate to add this Solti performance to the league of the great ones! Although it lacks the great dramatic urgency of Karajan or the fervent spirituality of Furtwangler, Solti's performance still works in it's own way.

P.S. Solti recorded this symphony again in 1986 ( slower tempos and less vibrant sound ), and it wasn't nearly as successful as this earlier version.

P.P.S. You can also find this classic 1972 Solti Ninth available in the Penguin Classics series, it is the exact same thing as this CD.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solti at his Best, October 23, 2000

By 

"songbear" (Ashburn, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Solti (Audio CD)

This recording was made in the seventies when Solti was at his peak. Solti re-recorded this when he was much older. The sound quality of the later recording lacks the briskness and vitality of this recording, even though the digital recording of the later version is...well...cleaner. However, if you're looking for a great performance, the soloists here will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Highly recommend.