Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 / Brahms: Symphony No. 3 ~ Tennstedt

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

 

 

Furtwangler must be smiling--like him, Klaus Tennstedt was at his most inspired in concert. This coupling of the Beethoven Seventh and Brahms Third--in excellent FM stereo from 1989 and 1983--harkens back to the glory days of German musicmaking. In every way it equals the work of Scherchen, Furtwangler, and Klemperer, being powerful, noble, spontaneous, and thrilling.

The London Phil, which was Tennstedt's own orchestra, gets so carried away at times that they become frantic (shades of Furtwangler's fiery concerts from wartime Berlin), and occasionally you'll hear a blooper. But on the whole their big, luscious sound is reminiscent of the great German ensembles in its warmth and depth. There are no unusual tempos, just incredible intensity and inenr life everywhere. What a relief, in this age of manufactured 'great performances,' to hear two that are the real thing. I have never encountered better performances of these two masterpieces, on or off records.

Not infrequently, there are moments in his conducting when Klaus Tennstedt reveals a convincing rightness of expression. Yet, at other times I find myself questioning some of the choices he makes in accenting instruments, particularly his tendency now and then to impose a big exclamation point over horns. In this regard, he reminds me a bit of Karajan. But, I suppose individual reactions to such "colorations" vary, with some finding them exciting. In the case of Tennstedt's Beethoven Seventh, however, I'm not greatly supportive. Just after the opening of the first movement there is a passage where the excess begins to show. There are other brief sections in each of the remaining movements where a similar pattern is evident intermittently. Despite this, Tennstedt often provides a passionate and satisfyingly detailed presentation. One of the better Beethoven Sevenths I've encountered.

My view of the other symphony on this cd is more unanimous. Choice of tempos, attractive phrasing and an obvious enthusiasm all combine to place this interpretation on what I consider to be an extremely short list of really superb Brahms Thirds. Particularly noteworthy are the idyllic middle movements, where Tennstedt allows the music to flow with a sense of seamlessness, all the while displaying a lyrical, richly hued musical tapestry. Dynamic contrasts in the first and fourth movements are especially well characterized, and there is a nice atmosphere of anticipation in the final movement which ultimately carries one to the twilight closing....Soundwise, the disc is fine, except for occasional slight congestion in some of the climaxes.

The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms belong to my most adored pieces of music. However it is a hell of a job to find a performance that is completely satisfying. And there are dozens of it on the market. And new ones are still published. I cannot listen to all of them of course, so I started reading the reviews here on Amazon for quite a long time. It became a little bit of an obsession...

Before looking for a REAL superb performance of my favourite (nowadays) Brahms symphony, I listened for years to Bernstein's version with the VPO. By time I realised that is was beautifully played but very heavy and slow. I also have a box of Brahms music with the Concertgebouworkest and Chailly as conductor of the symphonies. His approach is not my style. It sounds too much like chamber music. Although it's not bad at all.

The previous reviews convinced me to purchase the Tennstedt cd. And that after reading reviews of many other versions. It seems directly the big hit! The tempi are wonderful and the playing is transparent. Woodwinds are present. The clarinet of the second part for example is hard to beat. It stands there one his one between the whole orchestra. The musicians show that they are fully involved in this symphony.

The recording was a live-concert. Audience noise is still there but not annoying to my taste. On the other hand it gives the performance more atmosphere. Lucky for those who enjoyed the concert in 1983. Sound quality is very good also. Not that sharp digital sound but warm. With this recording I lost my obsession looking for the ultimate Third.

NB An excellent modern Brahms Fourth is Vonk with SLSO, which is also live and coupled with Beethoven symphony no. 1. It takes benefit from a better sound quality than Kleibers early digital version. The performance itself can hold up equally with Kleiber. You cannot go wrong with that cd either.

I forgot something to say about Beethoven symphony 7. Here it is. In a few words I can say that the performance is a satisfying one. And of course live. But it will not beat the Brahms symphony performance on this disk. Beethoven 7 is a magnificent piece of music, my favourite of his 9 symphonies. But Harnoncourt or Kleiber are according to my taste unbeatable.

Tennstedt leads the London Philharmonic in a big boned performance of the Seventh. The opening chords prelude a first movement
of rugged grandeur, a second movement of haunting mystery, a high spirited third and a frenzied fourth. This is not tepid, restrained or small scaled- in other words what generally passes for Beethoven today. Maestro Tennstedt's conception has a weight and splendor where every bar carries a meaning that lasers straight to the gut. It's a reminder of what attracted many of us to Beethoven.

Tennstedt catches the turbulence and uneasiness that lie close to the surface in the first movement of the Brahms Third. The second movement has moments of breathtaking beauty and the playing in the third captures every bit of the surging melancholy that pervades this music. Tennstedt's tempos are mainstream but his attention to inner voices and the committed playing of the London Philharmonic is what makes these three movements special. The fourth movement though is miraculous, Tennstedt creates a sweeping arc of ever increasing tension and emotion which breaks then cascades gradually into the almost wistful dying away of the coda. Anyone who doubts that Brahms was an unrestrained romantic needs to hear this recording.

The sound while not the greatest is more than good enough to let what's important in these readings shine through. I can only echo the sentiments of the other five star reviewers. This CD is a testament to the work of a great conductor.