Customer Reviews

Schubert: 8 Symphonies

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the course of nearly a decade, the distinguished Austrian conductor Karl Bohm recorded all of Schubert's symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic, yielding splendid recordings that have only been reissued recently by Deustche Grammophon. It's a pity that these haven't been remastered using the latest 24 bit digital technology, but nonetheless, the CD transfers still have a rich, warm sound due in part to the rich atmospheric sonority present in Berlin's Jesus Christ Kirche studio which Deutsche Grammophon used for virtually all of the Berlin Philharmonic's recordings in the 1960's and 1970's. Bohm leads the Berlin Philharmonic in richly textured, vibrantly warm performances; with the notable exception of the 1st Symphony, he adheres to brisk tempi. And yet, Bohm's interpretation of the 1st Symphony succeeds as an early orchestral precursor to Johann Strauss' Radetzky March, rich in regal bearing. Bohm's interpretation of the 4th "Tragic" Symphony is among the most emotionally gut-wretching versions I have heard. I was equally mesmerized by his fine versions of the 8th "Unfinished" and 9th symphonies. Although there are splendid, more recent, interpretations currently available from Abbado, Harnoncourt and Mackerras, to name but a few, Bohm's interpretations of Schubert's last two symphonies should still be regarded as among the most important ever recorded. Bohm draws upon his Austrian musical heritage to emphasize Schubert's ties to Mozart, and especially, Haydn, in the first 6 symphonies. In Bohm's riveting interpretation of the 9th symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic plays with as much passion as the Vienna Philharmonic, evoking rural Austrian folk tunes which must have inspired Schubert while he composed the symphony. Deutsche Grammophon deserves highest praise for reissuing this important Schubert symphony cycle at a price that is certainly a steal.

Beecham will always have the best when it comes to charm, see his EMI recordings of 3, 5 and 7.

Krips' 9th will always be one of the great recordings.

Sinopoli's 8th will always have a special place in my (musical) heart.

But Bohm is a huge surprise to me. This set is wonderful! and the Berlin Philharmonic outdoes itself!

The 8th is incredible, not only in how dreamy and romantic the performance is (although not relying on cheap interpretive tricks), but the superhuman demands that Bohm puts on the orchestra, which is clearly met in a breath-taking way. Time stands still in a very cool way, but keep track of the beat, and you'll be very surprised. What a master!

The 9th is, well, incredible. Just listen to the detail in I and I hope you'll be convinced. Even the most secondary theme is finely detailed and appropriately expressive. I love the "European" oboe sound, too.

The early symphonies are just as good. The 5th may be a little slow, but doesn't seem to suffer for all that, and fits Bohm's rich carpeted, luxurious interpretation. The BPO strings are all here in their glory.

The DG engineering and remastering is also a very nice surprise.d Very warm (yes, DG, warm!) and good bass (for a change). Heartily recommended!!!

Provides a nice foil to the Arte Nova set with the Putbus Festival Orchestra, which is full of wonderful performances with a small orchestra.

This complete Schubert set finds Bohm at his most congenial. The performances are neatly played, the phrasing is elegant, and the sound is excellent. However, I do find Bohm a trifle serious in the early symphonies - and the competition out there is fierce in 8 and 9.

Bohm's is the finest set I have heard - certainly preferable to the grim, humorless Harnoncourt and the rather heavy-handed Karajan. But not one of Bohm's individual performances here would be my first choice. Here are my preferences on a "pick & choose" basis.

#1. Beecham here is simply irresistable. He captures the youthful joy and exuberance of the 16 year old Schubert much more effectively than does Bohm. This is available on an import Sony CD, coupled with Beecham's non pareil 2nd and a great 8th.

#2. See #1.

#3. Beecham's EMI account is my favorite version. If you are interested in hearing a faster, more "classical" reading, the live Carlos Kleiber/Chicago account (Melodram) is much better than his rather driven DG version with the VPO. I should also mention here a nice Monitor LP reading by Georg Ludwig Jochum, who never got the credit he deserved (he was Eugen's younger brother).

#4. The Markevitch/BPO on DG is very well-played, if a bit brisk. My favorite here is an old Supraphon LP with Kurt Redel and the Czech Philharmonic: warm, rather slow, with those wonderful, gurgling Czech winds. It should be on CD.

#5. Beecham's EMI account is one of his greatest recordings. A more uptempo, "classical" reading by Fritz Busch is in great need of a CD transfer.

#6. Here, I feel Beecham (EMI) is simply unrivalled: this is the finest "Little C Major" I have heard.

#8. There is a long list of great recordings here. My very favorites are the live Furtwangler (DG), Mengelberg (Pearl), Abendroth (Berlin Classics) and the wonderful Fritz Lehmann with the Berlin Philharmonic on an old DG LP. That really needs to be on CD, coupled with Lehmann's definitive account of the complete incidental music from "Rosamunde." The Beecham on Sony is another great one: his 2nd mvt. rendition is best of all.

#9. Furtwangler & the Berlin Philharmonic is the very finest I have heard - it's coupled on DG with a noble Haydn 88th. Other favorites include Knappertsbusch (Orfeo), Rosbaud (Wergo), Schuricht (Scribendum), Mengelberg (the studio version on Tahra), and Clemens Krauss (Teldec). If you like Toscanini, his 1941 Philadelphia account is his best (in poor sound on RCA). Unfortunately, Beecham never recorded #9 (and likewise #4).

Bohm's is a great complete set in good sound. But if you are more interested in finding the greatest performances of each symphony, the ones I have listed above are worth exploring.

I agree with one of the reviewers here: sometimes Bohm's tempi are a bit slow, especially in the first movement of the 'Unfinished'. The sound of the strings is overall excellent but heavy for Schubert. Otherwise, the performances display a great vitality and impecable phrasing. Great value!

Bohm and the Berlin Philharmonic team up for this classic set. The 1st and 2nd symphonies have become some of my favorites, with their sparkling winds strong exhibition of classical strength.

Of course, this historic cycle collection is well known for its Unfinished and 9th renditions, which are just most dramatic and energized.

His 5th and 6th interpretations exhibit a relaxed pace that never grows old or hurries the listener.

This collector's edition from DG is good for those of us who likely won't buy other versions, and this is a solid set at a most remarkable value.

All of Schubert's eight symphonies, except for No. 8 "The Unfinished" and No. 9 "The Great C Major" (there is no No. 7 -- don't ask!), are usually considered lesser fare in his body of work and are often performed with a lighter touch. Conductor Böhm and the Berliners do make the major key symphonies jaunty, but also add some rhythmic punch along with deliberate foursquare tempi and a keen sense of musical architecture to give them the heft they need to sound substantial. The performances of No. 5 and No. 6 are the antithesis of the sprightly and rightly famous '50s-era recordings by Sir Thomas Beecham and are perhaps not as exemplary, but I've always found them so musically immaculate that I have no problem listening to them on a whim.

The recordings in this economical boxset are from 1963, '66, and '73. For the most part, they sound fine with plenty of bass and dynamic presence. Only occasionally does one hear some harshness on tuttis and fortissimos; certainly nothing to take away from the amicable, yet patrician performances.

There is no way for me to make my review short and sweet, so instead I will point out EVERYTHING I can about these CD's, and then you can decide if this product is right for you. I have always been a big fan of Mozart and Beethoven, and only recently have learned to appreciate the genius of Schubert. I have listened to over four versions of the 4th, 8th, and 9th symphonies, and I would put these versions somewhere in the middle of the pack. In my opinion they are better that The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields's version (Which is TOO FAST) but not as good as Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Abbado's versions are BEAUTIFUL recordings, but that set costs over $150. Let's face it, you get what you pay for. (FYI -I have never heard Muti's versions). Now, as far as the actual fidelity/ sound quality of the recordings, they are just a notch below the rest. I did notice this when I played several versions back-to-back with this one. (Once again- you get what you pay for). If you are a casual listener of classical music, or you are looking for an economical way to get exposure to all of Schubert's symphonies, then this is probably the right set for you. (How can you beat the price ??) If you are a real die- hard classical listener, I want to point out one other thing: These versions do not repeat the exposition in the first movements. They play it once and then go right to the development section. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about- ignore this- never mind, and think about the other things that I said. I hope that I have been helpful. I will finish by saying that I'm amazed by the genius of Schubert and his music, and I encourage anyone who loves classical music to listen to these symphonies (esp 4,8, and 9) regardless of which version you buy.

Karl Bohm's recordings of the Schubert Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic were made in 1963 (Symphonies 8 and 9), 1966 (Symphonies 5 and 6), and 1972 (Symphonies 1,2,3, and 4) and still stand up well today.
Bohm has a superb command of each symphony's architecture, and DG's recorded sound in all one could ask for: much better than Karajan's 1980s Berlin recordings for DG.

I believe Bohm's Schubert recordings are better than the more recent DG's of Abbado/Chamber Orchestra of Europe, which strike me as rather light and chamber like by comparison. Since I like big orchestra Schubert, I prefer Bohm.

Karl Bohm lived 1894-1981, and began making recordings with the Dresden State Orchestra in 1934. I highly recommend Bohm's Schubert cycle, and also his Mozart Symphonies (DG, also with the Berlin Philharmonic) and Beethoven Symphonies (DG, 1970-72, in three different Doubles releases, with the Vienna Philharmonic), essential to any collection of great music.

I would really like to give this recording 4.5 stars, because it is truly excellent- the sound quality, the interpretations in general, and the price! There are wonderful fourth, sixth, and ninth symphonies, and great fifth and eigth. However, the only reason I hold the last .5 of a star is the fifth symphony, one of my favorites is a little slow, especially in the first movement. It really doesn't bother me- Bohm makes many of the inner qualities shine with the more deliberate tempo, and not a moment is uninteresting! The eigth is the same situation, but not as bad, and is one of my favorite "Unfinished Symphony" interpretations ever. Overall, superb! A must for any Schubert fan!

Ideal, Inspired, Passionate, Dramatic, Lyrical, Beautiful, Intense...PERFECT!

To me, you need only 1 Schubert cycle for your collection and it is the Bohm! I haven't come accross anyone else who understands and loves Schubert more than Karl Bohm!

Bohm is a Master and his Schubert set will always remain at classic status!