Customer Reviews

Schubert: Symphony No. 9 'Great' / Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 / Rossini: Overtures

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Listening to Colin Davis' interpretation (before he became 'Sir' Colin) made me appreciate how great this symphony is. Beethoven thought of his Seventh Symphony as the finest thing he ever composed and listening to this classic EMI recording you would think so too. The sheer exhilaration of the first movement and the especially sombre second stand out. The third movement snaps at a jaunty pace and the breathless fourth movement leaves you glue to the seat.

The other symphony in this two CD set has George Szell with the then excellent Clevelanders performing Schubert's Great Symphony. Szell recorded this symphony before for CBS. That version is not as well recorded as this one. A superb issue.

George Szell was an incomparably dedicated champion of the Classical Symphony, and an incomparable orchestral trainer and leader. You get all these strengths in this crystalline but flexible Schubert Ninth. This was the second and more effective C- Major Szell recorded, with even finer playing and a more natural-sounding recording than on the CBS-Sony disc.Colin Davis (near the beginning of his career) recorded The Beethoven 7th. and Rossini overtures with the Royal Philharmonic at a great moment in its history after 15 years under Sir Thomas Beecham. The horn playing in the 7th. finale is really electrifying after a brilliantly energetic performance. The orchestra also had a distictive group of wind players who have a ball with the many solos in the overtures. Buy and enjoy these wonderful performances before "EMI-Warner" decides they are not profitable!

I would go to any lengths to get this double CD, if only just for the Beethoven 7th. Made in the early 1960s with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, I wonder if it isn't really Sir Thomas Beecham conducting. I've heard Davis make some wonderful recordings, especially of Berlioz and Sibelius (composers largely championed by Beecham in his lifetime, by the way), but his recording of the 7th in this EMI set is of another world altogether. The orchestra was Beecham's orchestra right up until his death, and it remained the finest orchestra around for several years after he died. This recording, and the unforgettable Sibelius 2nd made around the same time under Barbiroli, are testaments to its superiority. And I think the orchestra deserves much of the credit for the greatness of this recording of the Bethoven 7th. Davis does not indulge in Klempererish or Furtwanglerish rhythms and tempi, nor is he as great an architect as Karajan. And he is far more Classical than either Kleiber (Eric or Carlos). But there is an energy about this recording that keeps me on the edge of my seat throughout the performance, no matter how many times I hear it. If there are any interuptions (phones ringing, people talking at me, etc) I almost lash out in anger at being torn away from an unforgettable experience. Leave me alone! Let me enjoy it! No wonder the original Penguin Stereo Record guide awarded it the only rossette for the 7th amoung dozens of recordings.

Davis made 2 subsequent recordings of the 7th for Philips. Reviewers eagerly awaited them both times, hoping that age would make the interpretation and recording even more superior than the one reviewed here. But, sadly, both of those recordings proved utter disappointments. Which is what leads me to give Beecham and his orchestra more of the accolades than Davis. Davis inherited an orchestra whose skills were developed by a master, and even without the master conducting, they still played like he was there.

The set also has 4 marvelous Rossini overtures with the same team as the Beethoven.

The Schubert 9th with Szell and the Concertgebouw is very fine, if not quite as memorable as the Beethoven.

The sound is fabulous too. And the digital restoration is first rate.

This is a must have for any collection.

This set is indispensible -not for Szell's 9th but for the electric performance of Beethoven's 7th by Colin Davis!! For my money it's in a class of it's own .The sound is great even by today's standards.If you don't have it ,get it. You'll see what I mean!!