Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Op. 67 [Original recording remastered]

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Spoken Word (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), Columbia Symphony Orchestra (members of) (Orchestra), New York Philharmonic (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Columbia Symphony Orchestra (members of), New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Spoken Word
• Audio CD (August 1, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000F6YW12
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,715 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unacceptable product.. Do NOT buy for the lectures., May 30, 2007

By 

Harry Haller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Op. 67 (Audio CD)

Please be warned that if your are purchasing this product for Bernstein's outstanding talk on the first movement, do not do so. All four tracks are defective. To put it simply, it is as though you are listening to two people talking over each other in two different languages. This is a shame. I listened to this talk a long time ago, and it is wonderful. What a shame that you cannot do so on this CD.

To reiterate, the issue is the lecture, not the music. It is incredible that as of May 30, 2007, this product is still on the market.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T BUY THE TALKING TRACKS, September 6, 2008

By 

Timothy E. Dunnington "Timbert" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Leonard Bernstein Talks About Beethoven's First Movement Of The Fifth Symphony [Great Performances] (MP3 Download)

I should have read the reviews first, and I would have realized that the track marked English SUCKS. It's not the complete track, and it's French on the right channel and English on the left. What a frickin joke!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Performance of Symphony No. 5 great; multi-channel lecture annoying..., August 22, 2008

By 

Zavkram (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Op. 67 (Audio CD)

I originally purchased this recording of the Beethoven 5th Symphony when it was issued as part of Sony's "Bernstein Edition" in the early 1990's. While I have always enjoyed Bernstein's interpretation of this symphony (he observes all of the repeats) and have ranked it along with the Klemperer (mono recording), Toscanini (NBC 1939) and Carlos Kleiber versions as my favorites; I was disappointed by Sony's decision to present the accompanying lecture in four languages with each language version track dubbed onto different audio channels.

It's true what the other reviewers say... in order to hear just the English version one must turn the balance control on one's receiver or pre-amp all the way to the left (or is it the right?) channel. However, it may be possible to hear the English version through both stereo speakers if one possesses an audio patch cable which converts one mono output signal to two stereo inputs. The single end of the cable would have to be connected to either the left or right-channel output jack of one's CD player and the two other ends would have to be connected to both the left and right audio input jacks of one's pre-amp or receiver. The original English track is in mono, anyway, so you don't lose any stereo separation; what you gain instead is the ability to hear the English track in isolation and somewhat improved sound since it would be coming out of two speakers.

When the same pairing came out recently as part of Sony Classical's "Great Performances" series, I had hoped that the lecture would be presented in English only... no such luck.

As I understand it, Bernstein's recording of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony (which I DON'T like and can't in good conscience recommend to anyone) also contains a bonus lecture; "How a Great Symphony Was Written". I'm not certain if this is the exact same lecture or a different one. If it's the same one, I believe it is presented on that CD (part of Sony's "Bernstein Century" series) in English only.

BTW, the recorded lecture was originally presented as part of an episode of Bernstein's "Omnibus" TV programs on music appreciation. The script of that episode was subsequently reprinted as part of Bernstein's best-selling book, "The Joy of Music".