Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Christoph von Dohnányi (Conductor), Janice Taylor (Performer), Cleveland Orchestra (Orchestra), Carol Vaness (Performer), Siegfried Jerusalem (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Janice Taylor, Carol Vaness, Siegfried Jerusalem
• Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra
• Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CTS
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,225 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Builds Momentum, September 12, 2001

By 

Mark Jordan "sebastian-jordan" (Gambier, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I feel the first movement in Dohnanyi's Beethoven 9th is a shade underpowered, but I think it is an intentional approach, allowing the performance to build power as it goes along. Thus the first movement is more sleek than powerful. The Scherzo seems more committed, and the performance truly flowers in the slow movement. Some performances of this slow movement just settle back into a sort of generic lushness, but this performance has a searching, tender quality. The finale is the best-- Spacious yet forward moving, this rendition of the finale is so glowing yet precise, that most other versions seem careless to me now. In sum, not a perfect recording, but quite rewarding.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My personal favorite Ninth, June 29, 2003

By 

Ryan Richards "reb77" (Midland, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I don't think this is a perfect recording of this symphony, but I don't think I've ever heard a perfect recording of this symphony either. Suffice it to say Dohnanyi's is my favorite overall rendition. I have some small quibbles with it: As another reviewer mentioned, the beginning does indeed sound a tad underpowered, although the power builds as the movement continues and the final two notes are just huge. As well, I think the scherzo is a shade too slow, although Dohnanyi uses the slow tempo as an excuse to bring out a mysterious quality in the movement that I do enjoy. And the "fanfare of terror" at the beginning of the final movement? Just not very terrifying, folks (although it does stay together remarkably well; the orchestra sounds muddled in other interpretations I've heard).

But that's where my criticisms end. As usual, Dohnanyi manages to bring Romanticism into his interpretation without ever falling into melodrama. Crisp accents and a remarkable precision from the orchestra are the order of the day, yet there is still a clear musical picture here: Dohnanyi and the CO know what the music is trying to say. Aside from the quibbles I mentioned above, the first and second movements come off with tightly controlled power and precision. The third movement is particularly notable; some conductors just set the dynamic level at mezzo forte and drill right through it, but Dohnanyi gets a remarkably lush, warm sound from the orchestra, wistful and consoling at the same time. As amazing as the third movement is, however, it just can't compare to the unbelievable finale, where the orchestra (aside from the very beginning) and chorus just take off. The "Ode to Joy" theme is taken pleasantly up-tempo (I admire Bernstein's vision, but I think this theme just drags on forever the way he conducted it; not so here), and the whole movement is imbued with a joy and a sense of anticipation I haven't heard anywhere else. When the chorus returns after the orchestral fugue, it'll blow you out of your seat. The slower moments that follow are amazing in their own way; they're reverent and mysterious, clearly communicating Beethoven's wondrous vision of a heaven "above the canopy of stars." After that, it's a full-blown race to the end of the movement, which I had to listen to about twelve consecutive times when I first bought this CD. You just can't listen once to an ending as powerful and joyous as this.

So overall, this is the rendition of the Ninth I keep coming back to. The sound may not be quite as balanced on other versions, and von Karajan in particular definitely had the edge with his soloists, although Vaness et al. are no slouches. But this rendition has a sense of vision and power I haven't heard elsewhere.

(Liner notes include the full sung text, by the way.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't have training in classical music., November 9, 2009

By 

S. Powell "Amateur Listener" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I don't have training in classical music like the other reviewers, but I am quite stirred whenever I hear the Cleveland Orchestra's version of Ode to Joy. It makes me want to give the CD to all my friends and relatives even though they don't listen to classical music.

The reason I voted one review as unhelpful was that he said there were better versions, but didn't name them. Please don't keep them a secret!