Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Egmont Overture

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Kurt Masur (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Performer), Sylvia McNair (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: New York Philharmonic, Sylvia McNair
• Conductor: Kurt Masur
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (September 7, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Teldec
• ASIN: B000000SHW
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,068 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro con brio

2. Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Andante con moto

3. Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro

4. Symphony No.5 In C Minor, Op.67: Allegro

5. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Ouverture

6. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Die Trommel geruhret

7. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Zwischenakt I

8. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Zwischenakt II

9. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Freudvoll und leidvoll

10. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Zwischenakt III

11. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Zwischenakt IV

12. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Musik, Klarchens Tod bezeichnend

13. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Susser Schlaf

14. Egmont, Op.84, Ouveture und Musik zu Goethes Trauerspiel: Siegessymphonie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, June 14, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

Masur brings outthe inner voices without sacrificing any of the symphony's power or drama. The sound is exceptional and the New York Philharmonic shines in this superb recording.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, February 6, 2009

By 

T. Edetun "B2AN" (Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

I have to disagree with most of the reviewer here, this is one of my favourites of this symphony. I have listened to Beethoven since i was 11 yeas old. And i have heard many Beethoven Symphony recordings. Carlos Kleiber, Roger Norrington, George Szell, Lorin Maazel are some of my favourites of the 5th symphony. But this one is not bad at all in my view. The sound is not exceptional but not bad at all. So this is the only of Kurt Masur recordings of Beethoven that'l have a place among all the others in my cd collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars poor recording, March 28, 2004

By 

Prescott Cunningham Moore (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Egmont Overture (Audio CD)

Masur is very quixotic as a conductor. Sometimes his concerts and recordings are shockingly vibrant and energetic. However, most of the time, he is an overly intellectual conductor that creates dull, lifeless readings. Here, we find the New York Philharmonic in top form, playing a wonderfully balanced and well-rehearsed version of the fifth. But that is were my praise ends. Although the quality of the playing is near perfection, the energy and emotion (or lack there of) that Masur instills in the players is uninspiring. I will say I am impressed that Masur (correctly) chooses to take the repeat of the Scherzo - something the liner notes explain in detail - but that is not enough to save this performance from mediocrity.

Egmont, here recorded in its entirety, is interesting if anything because we rarely encounter the entire incidental music on disc. However, there are better versions of both available. Dausgaard's Egmont blows Masur out of the water. As for the symphony, there are seemingly hundreds of better alternatives, including Vanska, Barenboim, Zinman, Keibler, Szell, Karajan, Harnoncourt, and Jarvi, to just name a few. Pass.