Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Op. 67

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

 

 

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.

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!

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".

The other reviewers who mention the problem with the wonderful Bernstein lecture on how the symphony was written are correct. All 4 language tracks are corrupted and present you with 2 languages spoken over each other making it next to impossible to understand and totally impossible to enjoy. Why no one has come out with a corrected CD version is beyond me.

I have been eagerly awaiting this re-release since it first appeared on CD as part of Sony's "Royal Collection". Reviewers will recall that there was a channel bleed problem on the tracks that Bernstein narrates "How A Great Symphony Was Written". There were four narration tracks: English, German. French, and Italian. The problem was that Sony, in their infinite stupidity, over dubbed two languages on seperate channels on each track, left and right. The listener had to manually turn down the volume input on the left or right channel of their receiver to eliminate the unwanted duplicate narration...a technical mess! Well folks, Sony has NOT corrected this problem on this Great Performances re-release, as I evidenced while sampling the CD at a Border's Books Listening Station. I cannot recommend this CD soley for this reason, and thus my 1 star rating. It's a real shame, because Bernstein's narration of "How A Great Symphony Was Written" is otherwise outstanding. I hope somebody at Sony is paying attention, but why should I expect that? Sony obviously didn't think enough to correct this travesty after it's initial CD release. If any other customers have purchased this CD and have not found the problem that I have described, please let me know about it. However, that is highly unlikely.

I can only say that those that gave this album a bad review are seriously challenged. Yes, it is goofy that you get two different languages on two channels, but all you have to do is either turn off one channel or set your balance to the English version. Annoying yes, but this is without question one of the most incredible studies of this symphony ever and to actually hear what was going on in Beethoven's head and how this masterpiece evolved from one version to another to the final glorious work we are blessed with is truly a great gift for mankind.

I use Beethoven's 5th in seminars for managers here in Paris, France (a listening exercice).
I can say this version is on a par with Furtwangler(1943,DG), Fricsay(1962,DG) and Karajan(1962, DG).
As for the channel problem mentionned in the other review, it is really of no consequence.
You have the choice of four languages!