Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is absolutely the best Ninth available: great conducting; great solo vocalists; great orchestral performance; great recorded sound; great cover art (Munch).

As others have noted, this is the "slowest" Ninth around. This is true; but "slow" must not be misunderstood as "dragging." On the contrary, this performance sizzles exactly where it should. And it's not "slow" because Bohm was too old to conduct properly. Actually, this is the finest Ninth realization, because Bohm had a lifetime of experience, and here he really displays his incisive critique: he lets the music breathe: he lets it meditate: he lets brood: he lets it expand unto the cosmos. And this pregnancy of concept gives birth to a realization of rare art.

I'm a von Karajan fan, but this realization makes Karajan sound like he's rushing to be finished as quickly as possible, just to be done and go home: Karajan sounds ridiculously fast. No, Bohm lets the gentle Beethoven breathe, giving him time to philosophize.

Plus, the disc is at a bargan price: double the satisfaction. Please do yourself (or someone else) a favor: get this disc.

Though many seem to regard this version of Beethoven's ninth as too slow, I find it very moving and inspirational. Böhm's approach is poetic and lets the listener digest every single note. At the end, it leaves you with a bittersweet sensation of both joy and nostalgy that reminded me that Beethoven was unable to actually hear the grandiosity of his work.

I have great affection for this symphony, and I own about 33 different recorded versions. As David Hurwitz points out in his review, it is the slowest performance on record at almost 80 minutes! Although I usually agree with Mr. Hurwitz's reviews, I disagree with him in his comparison to Bohm's earlier Vienna recording. I think this one is better mostly due to the soloists. Norman and Domingo sing like the superstars they are, and I think the slower speeds actually add some dramatic tension. However, if you want to own only one Beethoven nine, look for Bernstein's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic or Giulini's bargain version with the London Symphony.

I've owned this recording since it was first released on a 2-LP set in 1981, where each movement occupies one whole side. It was accompanied by a lavish book that included a write-up of Bohm as well as a calendar listing all the important events and recordings of his life. It was noted that Bohm considered Berry, Domingo, Fassbaender and Norman to be the ideal soloists for this work at that time, together with his beloved VPO and the Concert Association Chorus. Later, in 1986, this recording was produced on a double CD set, together with the original LP artwork and essays, coupled with his famous 1971 recording of the "Pastoral", and it was one of the first Beethoven Ninths in DGG's CD catalogue then. The current remastered single CD on the "Masters" series has better sound, and is preferable, although all the original sleevenotes have been deleted.

Although I own about 20 different recordings of the Ninth, I regard this as one of the most important. True, the tempi are slow, but Bohm does not falter; neither is he sluggish. In spite of the slow tempi, the concentration and playing of the VPO, chorus and soloists are faultless, and there is a wonderful sense of a "live" occasion which one seldom perceive from studio recordings. It is as if everyone knew that this would be Bohm's last recording and that he would be dead within months. Most of the other reviewers here who had been positive about this recording have listed its outstanding merits, which I shall not repeat. Confirmation that Bohm had a clear vision of the work, and knew what he was doing, came from no less than Placido Domingo himself. In his autobiography, Domingo noted that, in the alla turcica section of the 4th movement which features the tenor voice, Bohm set the "ideal tempo, unlike other conductors" (Domingo's own words). It was also during this recording that Bohm presented Domingo with his own autographed copy of the score, and Domingo would later regret that he didn't have the chance to collaborate with Bohm in any operatic work. That this recording is excellent is also evident from the Penguin Guide, which has consistently given it 3 stars (out of 3) in every edition since 1981 in spite of renewed competition from many other recordings since that time.

In summary, this is not a performance of the Ninth that you can listen to as and when you like (or as background music !!). It commands your every attention. You should only listen to this on a day when you feel like listening to a performance of the Ninth, and you have about 90 minutes to spare where you are 100% certain that you'll not be disturbed. You'll be amply rewarded, and each listening brings forth fresh revelations about the work. As some reviewers have noted elewhere, once you have experienced the wisdom of Bohm in his music-making, be it Beethoven, Mozart or Strauss, you'll find it hard to listen to other so-called superstar conductors. As the author of the original sleevenote essay noted, "the very essence has been grasped".

This is not the definitive recording of the Ninth Symphony. I used to say that it was, but Karl Bohm's recording for the same label (with the same orchestra) happens to edge it out... barely. Get it as a double with the third symphony, of which he is one of the greatest performers. Having said that, this is still a wonderful recording. Karl Bohm was old... over eighty in fact when he recorded this, and he had decades of experience. His sense of clarity is wonderful, and his command of the orchestra is fantastic. The tempos, like his magnificent recording of Mozart's 40th symphony, are slower than many other conducters who can't sense that there is more than sheer power and force to Beethoven's masterpiece. Chances are this won't appeal to you on the first few listens... because you are so accustomed to faster tempos the work will seem sluggish. But unlike the popular Karajan recording, the more you listen the more you will grasp the brilliance of Bohm's interpretations. Also it is worthwhile to compare the faster tempos of the ninth or of his many other works to the moderate tempos... Bohm understood the importance of tempo and he knew which tempos would bring out the most truth of Beethoven's work. The second movement is slightly slower than most, but the pulse is brilliant and the lines are strong and forceful. Also, there is an interesting score direction that is almost always ignored. The center of the Scherzo is in 4/4 and is marked presto... specifically the measure length is to correspond to that of the 3/8. Which means it goes absurdly fast... probably too fast unless you take the 3/8 much slower, which is what Bohm does. If you listen to Karajan and others, what you find is he actually plays the tempo slower in that section, making it sound more graceful and serene. But the score doesn't lie. The first movement is massive and powerful, much more so than any other recording (Possibly even more powerful than his previous version in this instance... in fact, it is safe to say that the sheer force and power exceed that of the 70's recording in most instances). The fourth movement recieves the most flack of any for it's radical tempos, but it is here that it's most obviously brilliant. Some of the tempos are counter intuitive, but the experience is brilliant... the pulse does occasionally rage, but he doesn't treat the work like it's a sprint. Of course, the presto at the end is presented in a true presto, and again the relationship in most recordings is not effective because the tempo they began with was not correct. The voices are incredible, the solos are beyond perfect. An absolutely wondorous recording that after much listening and careful attention will prove to be, if not the definitive recording of the 9th, certainly one of the best.

This Karl Bohm recording of Beethoven's mammoth symphonic swansong provides a sharp contrast to his machine-tuned version he made previously for DG during his Beethoven cycle in Vienna. Bohm was in the twilight of his career (this recording was made a few months before his death), but he still allows the music to speak for itself and this recording to have a sense of occasion. The Viennese players respond positively to Bohm's Furtwanglerian direction, and the four soloists and chorus are on top form in the finale. The effect if further enhanced by the mellow digital recording which, though it may be a little dry, allows the golden sound of the orchestra and its affinity with the music to shine through.

Bohm takes measured speeds for the first two movements, and allows this performance to hark back to Furtwangler's classic Bayereuth performance in the early 1950s. The first movement has a true sense of mystery during its opening moments of stillness, but is still allowed to build up intenseley despite its slow speed, when all the various strands of the argument are woven together. The Scherzo does tend to lack some rythmic spring and forward drive, but Bohm makes up for it with the Olympian atmosphere of the trio and the inclusion of the exposition repeat. In the slow movement, this performance is at its very best, like all performances of Beethoven's Ninth in this nature. Bohm manages to get to the sublime heart of the movement by starting with hushed intensity and building up the temperature towards the end. The variations of the "Devotion" theme are also well-pointed out to.

The fourth movement is one of the best parts of this performance, despite some slow and unsprightly tempi in certain places. The cello and bass recitatives may sound not as tense as expected, and the Joy Theme less spirited during its first instrumental appearances. But, the moment that Walter Berry starts singing with his starry soloist companions (despite his leathery timbre), the finale is able to crown this performance and convey a sense of occasion. Jessye Norman is, as always, radiant in her pure soprano notes, as are Brighitte Fassbaender and the ever-characterful Placido Domingo. Norman and Domingo seem to be the high points of this performance, as always, and the four soloists are able to shine both together and individually. The chorus may sound a little bit laid back, but the sound is bright and forward. There is a keen dedication conveyed here in both singing and playing, even despite some slow tempi, but there is still a sustainable amount of forward momentum.

On the whole, I find this performance just as satisfying as Bernstein's "Ode to Freedom" account, also on DG, despite some weaknesses in which Bernstein finds strengths. Like that performance, it makes valuable supplementary listening to any outstanding complete Beethoven cymphony cycle by the likes of Karajan, Gardiner, Abbado, Zinman, Szell and Solti.

Maybe I'm just being perverse, but for all its slowness, I found Bohm's digital Beethoven Ninth very worthwhile. I say perverse because Bohm has been a conductor I avoid, and yet here we have sixty years of experience on the podium. As an interpretation, this one is often meditative and therefore very touching. In addition there's the Vienna Phil, who can play at any tempo and make the music sound convincing. The solo quartet in the finale couldn't be bettered.

The first movement feels like a complete success to me. It isn't dynamic on the surface, but the phrasing is perfect and the orchestral playing riveting. Anyway, a timing of 18+ min. isn't all that slow by traditional standards--and Bohm is all about tradition. The Scherzo is quite slow at 13 min., reminding one of Celibadache and the aging Giulini, probably the slowest conducttors on disc. But the orchestra keeps the rhythm lively, which helps a reat deal.

The sublime Adagio sounds magnificent no matter how broadly it's paced, and Bohm's 18 min. is well within the normal range. Again, the phrasing is well-nigh perfect, as is the orchestra--their hused tones at the beginning mesmerize you. In the finale, it asks a lot of an eighty-year-old to hold together such huge forces, and Bohm can be forgiven for needing 28+ min., compared to 24 min. in Karajan's touchstone recording from 1963. But by this time you will either be captivated by the spirit of the performance or not.

I came away competely satisfied, not just because of the great opera stars who sing the solos and the masterful Viennese chorus. I felt that I was earing a lifetime's musical experience summarized in one last-minute grasp for immortality. I'm not sure bohm won that here, exctly, but his last Ninth is compelling.

Norman, Domingo, Faessbaender & Berry with Karl Bohm are magnificent! If Toscanni's rendition is "driven", then Bohm and Wiener Philharmoniker are "straight and true". -Inspiring!

This really is the slowest ninth you are ever likely to come across. Listening to it is almost hypnotic. I think you probably have to buy it if you are a Beethoven fan, a Bohm fan, or a Vienna Phil fan because it is so unique. I ultimately couldn't resist the extremely polarized critical opinion: I had to hear it for myself. The Amazon reviewer is right: Bohm's earier 9th with the VPO is tremendous. But I think, or is it hope, that his approach here has not to do with old age but was instead a clear vision realized precisely. The playing doesn't drag. It's slow but tight, and everybody knows exactly when to do all the odd things that you hear. One of those odd things is the second movement. Oh yeah, it's slow--at some point you are going to say "Good God, isn't it over yet?" But in all fairness, the effect is fascinating. The mood is vastly different than any other version I've heard and becomes a metaphor for intense concentration, or diligence or something. Pretty cool. If you are searching for an introduction to this work, get the other Bohm effort. But if you want to try something different(which usually means lousy, but doesn't here), by all means buy it.

There can be no dispute that Beethoven was the finest symphonist who ever lived, and likely will ever live. His symphonies are best interpreted with simultaneous passion and an "architectural" sensibility, a balancing of contrasts. This vintage recording joins those of Gardiner, Bernstein and most recently Osmo Vanska as the finest realizations on record. However, to appreciate Bohm's vision, one must set aside one's preconceptions of how it is "supposed to" sound. Take for example the second movement. As it begins, one is tempted to remark that it plods when it should skip. This movement is customarily played as though it were a dance, and it delights as such. As Bohm's unfolds in dirge-like fashion, however, you realize what he is up to. Slowing the tempo, he is able to draw out the latent drama in the notes that is often missed, without sacrificing any of the movement's "freude." Listen to how it swells and accelerates in appropriate spots, such as the last bars of the movement. In short, the slow tempi are completely beside the point. Bohm exercised artistic license, and succeeded on a grand scale. Finally, it should be noted that the live recording, immaculately performed, gives this record a sense of immediacy that compliments Bohm's interpretive choices. I doubt it would work nearly as well as a studio album.