Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphony No 9 /ORR * Gardiner

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whether you like the result or not, it is a simple fact that the authenticist Beethoven performers keep far closer to the letter of the score than their more romantically inclined colleagues, and have all historical evidence on their side too. It makes little sense to argue that Gardiner's tempos simply "feel" too fast and hurried, because this feeling is nothing but the conditioned reflex ingrained in us after years of hearing performances that were, to every likelihood, far too slow. If we complain that in this recording a sense of mystery is lacking at the beginning of the symphony, we are listening to it as if it's Bruckner (who would have written "misterioso" rather than "poco maestoso"). But Beethoven writes no tremolo, he writes rhythmically articulated triplets. And that's what Gardiner has his orchestra play. Similarly, it is pointless to claim that Beethoven would have preferred modern instruments, had he heard them. He hasn't, and he had no way of imagining them. For instance, though primitive valve horns were available in Beethoven's time, the modern horn as we know it did not become a regular presence in orchestra's until half a century after the Ninth's premiere. Early valve horns sounded much worse than natural horns, and even Brahms still preferred to have natural horns in his orchestra! One might as well include saxophones and synthesizers in the Ninth and say "Beethoven would have done so, had they been available to him". No doubt the instrumental sounds on this recording will come as a shock to some: the hoarse, fuzzy voice of the bassoon, or the nasal, plaintive wail of the oboe. And it is quite audible that negotiating the little flourish in bar 96 of the Adagio is no mean feat on a natural horn. But the audacity to stretch instruments to the limits of their possibilities are as much part of Beethoven's art of instrumentation as they are of that of Berlioz or Mahler. On modern instruments, it all becomes smooth, easy and polite, and part of the music is lost. Of course, everybody is entitled to his own taste and free to prefer, say, Böhm's much praised 1981 recording; - but to me, after having become acquainted with Norrington's and now Gardiner's lean 13-minute renderings, Böhm's 18-minute first movement does not only sound lapidary and lifeless, it simply no longer makes any sense and strikes me as rather absurd. In fact, in ignoring many indications in the text that come directly from Beethoven himself, such a performance is in a way extremely arrogant.
There are only four period performances of this symphony available, as far as I know, of which those of Goodman and Brüggen never really made it into the limelight, so that Gardiner's main contender is Norrington. Their choices of tempo are generally similar, and very close to Beethoven's metronome marks (though Norrington for unclear reasons assumes that Beethoven meant dotted crotchet = 84 rather than dotted minim = 84 for the Alla Marcia in the finale, and therefore gives us twice as slow a march than Gardiner). Both have plenty energy and bite. Gardiner has the more close-up and direct recording, which can make him sound aggressive. Norrington's sound is more spacious, set in a clearer ambience, and has more detail. Also, he divides first and second violins left and right, which for unfathomable reasons Gardiner declines (it seems rather strange to go to such great lengths to realize an authentic Beethoven, and then adhere to modern orchestra seating plans).
In the second half of the work my preference inclines towards Gardiner. His Adagio has more light and shade and is more poetic than Norrington's. In the finale, he simply has the better singers and the more powerfully focussed choir, who generate a final frenzy next to which Norrington sounds rather thin (though I love his pointed, explosive timpani!).
My advice? Acquire either one of these, or both, but do grasp the opportunity to rinse your ears and hear some true Beethoven.

This recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is THE crown jewel in Gardiner's entire cycle. What people don't realise is the fact that while this is an academic exercise in itself, Gardiner manages to balance elements of authenticity and the latest scholarship with feeling and meaning. This is why I notice that the reviews seem to kick this recording about mercilessly. In fact, Gardiner, Zinman and Zander all follow the same style of performing this work. Gardiner certainly excels perfectly with his own Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique and his own Monteverdi Choir, and the luminous DG recording manages to help him perfectly. Gardiner's first two movements enable tensions to be built up intensely, even despite the lack of mystery at the opening of the first movement and at the fast speeds in the Trio. Everything is cleanly articulated and one feels like you are on the edge of your seat listening to this riveting recording. The slow movement brings a keen sense of repose, and gives the feeling of the slow movement in the Pastoral, and yes, one can grasp the hymnlike devotion that characterises this movement. As for the Finale, Gardiner gives an urgent, all-out and dramatic reading, eliciting an energetic sound from his choir. The soloists are all characterful, and everyone sings their heart out in Beethoven's setting which manages to do its work well even under these conditions. To wrap up, I would just like to say GIVE GARDINER A BREAK! And please don't mistreat this version at all. Scholarship aside, what an involving performance it is. You feel like one is bringing you within a hair's whisker of the "bloodthirsty beauty" of Beethoven's all-too-human music.

I listened to various recordings by Solti, Von Karajan, Furtwangler, and Bernstein before settling on this one for its historical accuracy and vibrant, clean sound. While Beethoven's 9th pushed the edges of Romaticism, it is, at its core, a Classical symphony grounded in the same musical tradition as Mozart and Haydn. It should therefore be energetic, clean, and have a clear rhythmic and tonal center rather than languishing in introspective thought, drama, and dissonance... more Weber than Wagner.

In stark contrast to most recordings of the 9th, Gardiner's interpretation is quick, clean, expansive in dynamic range, and firmly rooted in Classical architecturalism. It posseses none of the Wagnerian qualities of slower recordings and, as such, delivers a roller coaster ride instead of a psychotherapy session.

The Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique plays with gusto, charm, and clarity on period instruments... no easy feat. The sound may be smaller than, say, the Berlin Philharmonic, but it is also more nimble and this is one of the few recordings of the 9th that makes you truly stop and listen... the cloudiness of other recordings is replaced by crisp, sharp edges and the music is infused with freshness and verve.

The Monteverdi Choir sings with good diction and is a fine match for the orchestra; their dynamic range is considerable and the voice parts are well balanced. The soloists sing with passion and clarity while keeping their performances free of excessive interpretive liberties.

Archiv's recording quality is first rate and there is no static, hiss, or splats on the high notes. The perfomance is recorded closely and at times, you can hear the musicians turning pages. Bernstein or Solti are good bets if you want a more distant sound... however, I think this recording is probably closest to what the Viennese heard in 1824.

I am a fan of John Eliot Gardiner and his two orchestras: the Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romatic (Responsible for 19th century recordings) and the English Baroque Soloists (responsible for Baroque and Classical period works). I personally own copies of his series of Mozart Symphonies, his recordings of the seven great Mozart operas, the Mozart piano concertos (played on a true pianoforte from Mozart's day), and the complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies, the ninth of which is represented here, and I can honestly say that if you like classical music now, you will most certainly fall in love with it when you try Gardiner's period-instrument recordings.

In the case of Beethoven's symphonies, especially the all-famous ninth, so many inconsistant notes and note blends that were previously so difficult to justify by the ear before are very crisp and clear now. Modern instruments I am convinced are much too opulent for Beethoven's intentions, and tend to blur critical points in the music. Period instruments present a crisp and clear rendition of Beethoven, convincing even the most novice listener that this is what he intended all along. You will be convinced once again of Beethoven's orchestrating genius.

My advice... buy this recording... it will be the best recording of Beethoven's ninth by far in your collection. END

Forget all the prissy arguments over period instruments: this recording is a revelation not a revolution.

Listen to the interpretation and the performance. This is a masterful rendering of a masterpiece.

Wake up your ears and your mind and treat your soul. Take a few minutes out of your life and listen to the excerpts above and prepare yourself for an insightful revelation.

Then add this disc to your collection. This one is well worth the price. It is an informed, studied and above all, a genuinely alive, vibrant, intelligent, moving performance by all of the forces.

First class.

Though a period instrument performance, this reading of Beethoven's monumental 9th Symphony is intense as any modern instrumental reading. Gardiner literally flies through the score in one of the best recordings available. His reading of the 2nd movement (Scherzo) is fast, furious, and dangerous, while the 3rd overflows with hymn-like devotion. Enclosing these two movements is Gardiner's unique interpretation of both the first and last movements, and he is in terrifying form. His tempi are the swiftest of any professional recording, and the acoustics of the performance location are incredible (Richard Hickox recorded no less a work than Verdi's Requiem in the same location). An excellent bargain, Gardiner's reading is essential for anyone: collector or otherwise.

I first heard this performance on an on line station while working. My ears perked up and I just listened.
Gardiner works magic with his phrasing and tempi. He makes the work come alive in a way I haven't heard since Toscanini.
The original instruments shine: the tonality and timbre are marvellous. Since getting the cd I played it continuously and it holds up incredibly well.

I plan on eventually getting all of Beethoven symphonies by Gardiner.

The problem with several of these reviews are that they are clearly done by Beet(hoven)-niks (compare the Mozarteans) many of whom are apparently period-instrument haters as well. Their irrational dislike for the style leads one to wonder whether Gardiner or Hogwood bullied them in school or stole their best girl at university. But I digress.

What Gardiner brings to the 9th, in addition to a passion for authentically revolutionary instrumental performence, is great skill at directing voices. My complaint about many of the recommended recordings of the 9th is the mediocrity of the choral recording and direction. Most Beet-niks don't seem to care though, more accepting of a muffled, wayward chorus than any deviation in the tempo of a single passage from that of their pet performance. Choral direction involves a different set of skills than instrumental direction and Gardiner is one of the only conductors who can do both exceptionally well. He is able to get the best out of all parts and soloists and to keep them focused in the presence of the monster that is Beethoven's ninth, something that has eluded otherwise great conductors like Hogwood, Karajan and Bernstein for whom the chorus has sometimes seemed an afterthought.

Is this the best performance possible? No. But the 9th is such a transcendent piece of music it is hard to imagine it could ever be captured perfectly. That said, Gardiner and Orchestre do a fine job. I would give it a 4, but given the amount of star-inflation on Amazon, I think a 5 is more fitting. I highly recommend this CD.

I have heard a lot of Beethoven Ninths, going back to Toscanini's version where he yelled to the chorus before they came in on the final "Freude schoene Goetterfunken," including ones by Walter, von Karajan, Furtwaengler, Bernstein, Reiner and on and on. I must say Gardiner's is the first version where I have felt Beethoven and not the conductor. I felt the "freude." It's always seemed to me tempi were too slow in many other versions, not ferocious enough, lacking Beethoven's fire. And because of this, sometimes phrasing in the Ninth didn't make sense to me. I heard the Violin Concerto recently, with Shlomo Mintz, and it was done so slowly, particularly in the first movement, I thought I would fall asleep before it got over with. My thought was, "He just doesn't get it!" I like my Beethoven with fiery emotions, the kinds he he surely had. Olympian is OK if you want to stick him up there with the gods, but I think that undermines his great humanity, which the Ninth expresses as much as -- perhaps more than -- anything else he wrote.

Yes, there are greater versions, with greater orchestras, with greater singers, with greater conductors. But this one is the one that gets my blood surging, gets me into Beethoven's head, and his heart.

I put on the Gardiner version of the 9th symphony awhile back. Here I am listening, thinking, maybe I'll just get through the first movement and not much else. The timing of the recording is 59:43, under a hour, but do I have an hour to sit through right now? Well, I'm listening and the first movement rolls by in 13 minutes flat and then just as quickly the second in 13 minutes, even with the extra repeat. The adagio flies by in under 13 minutes! Then the finale starts and I'm thinking, wow, near the end already. The finale times out at about 21 minutes. I finish listening and say to myself, that was the most easy going 9th I've ever heard. It's like a flash in the pan!

Please don't presume I'm saying that Gardiner conducts poorly or that the orchestra is no good. Actually the orchestra plays with real gusto, check out the whole recapitulation of the first movement, there is some terrific playing going on and the sound is very fine digital quality, but this is one of the most clinical recordings I've ever heard of this symphony. Gardiner is far and away better than almost all period-instrument conductors in this music but that doesn't mean he understands a single note of it.

Beethoven's 9th is a massive work of philosophical breadth and spiritual intensity whose huge shadow falls across the entire 19th-century and well into the 20th. It's still just as relevant today as the day it was written and we're well underway with the 21st century now. Gardiner conducts this music in a way that tries to pigeonhole this epic piece into the times of it's creation. This is not Beethoven the immortal who tests the limits of the art form, this is just Beethoven, the hyperactive jerk classical composer. I'm simply saying that pigeonholing great, creative minds into an era in history is a false methadology. Creators like Beethoven or Wagner or Shakespeare or Michaelangelo are living, breathing forces of nature, just as much today as when they were actually alive. Gardiner's clinical view of this eternal creation is not nearly enough to even merely suggest an understanding of this music.

This is a good supplemental recording, to counteract lethargic, bloated performances like Leonard Bernstein's "Ode to Freedom" concert and Karl Bohm's final digital version, which was slow as molasses too. Yes, Gardiner beats those clownish recordings but he can't aspire to the greatness of Herbert von Karajan, Gunter Wand, Georg Solti, ( 1972 ), and especially Wilhelm Furtwangler in Berlin, 1942. Check them all out!