Customer Reviews

Symphonies 1-9

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

 

 

The performance of Symphony No. 5 in this set absolutely kicks serious butt- it's the most powerful, driven Fifth I've ever heard- worth the price of the whole set alone!!!! The rest of the CD's are excellent as well, but the Fifth in this set reigns supreme!

Beethoven's Symphonies are very popular among the classical community, and hence there are many versions and sets to choose from. This box set is wonderful for a classical lover who desires to obtain the complete symphonies, but can't afford to spend a hundred dollars in the process. This is by far not the best performance ever recorded by any means, but overall, it stays close to the music and is very traditional. So if you desire to gain a better appreciation for Beethoven's symphonies, but aren't willing or are unable to spend alot of money doing it, this is the perfect box set for you.

This is an excellent series of recordings. The peak of which, of course, comes in the final CD with the 9th Symphony. The instruments are perfectly mixed so that one section doesn't outweigh another. The solosists are superior. The orchestra is crisp and precise. This is one of the best recordings of the nine symphonies out there. And it's a great value.

The engineering could not be any better, otherwise very poetic and deliberate (not slow), the only problem is weak scherzos throughout, nonetheless I would this 9th over Bohm's 1982

The thrill of bargain hunting is finding a great value at a mere pittance. This results in left brain/right brain nirvana. I picked up the 10 CDs for about $10 and they sound great, especially Beethoven's 9th Symphony. They are also very well recorded including excellent db master line levels.

My other Beethoven Bargain Cycle is by Joseph Krips and the London Symphony Orchestra. I got the original LPs for $2.98 at Half Priced Books and they had a fancy CD Box Set in a Tin Box for sale last Christmas for $10. The Krips set has been around and in production since circa 1960 and I would give it the edge over Kegal's.

If you shop around you may be able to find a top notch set for $30 or less. I got the Karajan Berlin Phil 9 symphony cycle from circa 1961 on CD for und $18 including s/h thru Ebay and the early 70s Karl Bohm/ Vienna Phil on CD thru Amazon Marketplace (come in 3 separate 2 fer CD albums) for a little over $20.

The reason I bring these options up is that I recently did a side by side listening taste test. I cued up Beethoven's 5th by Bohm, Karajan, Kegal, and Carlos Kleiber. Kegal sounds OK if you just listen to Kegal. If you hear Kegal with these other performances side by side, Kegal is not at all in their league. Bohm and Karajan are two of the all time classic Beethoven Symphony cycles and Kleiber's Beethoven 5th is regarded by many as the best ever recorded. Kegal is fine as a bargain option, but there are other options available.

This is a fine set of Beethoven symphonies, well played and recorded, except I think the recording level of the ninth is a bit lower than the rest of the symphonies (might just be my ears). You don't get fancy liner notes or fabulous photographs of the orchestral forces, but the performances are quite solid; the best being the opening of the fifth and the chorale finale of the ninth.

I found this a moderate edition of the 9 Beethoven symphonies. For the cheapskate collecter, this is a great pick. The pieces are played wonderfully, with not many mistakes, and Herbert Kegel does a great job conducting this mediocre orchestra. If what you want is the overall tune, this would be good also, but if you want versions of the 9 symphonies that are perfect, buy them seperately performed by big name orchestras.

I have borrowed this set from the library many times over the years.I collect Beethoven symphony sets,and this one is a favorite of mine.This conductor has won awards for his Beethoven interpretations.

I first encountered Kegel's Beethoven when the series was released on Pro Arte Sinfonia series LPs, later replacing the vinyl with the boxed CD set (which unfortunately doesn't include the miscellaneous overtures performed by the same forces).

Kegel's view of these warhorses is in the solid middle European tradition - big string section, more moderate tempos than might be considered the norm today, and perhaps not the last word in excitement. Even so, they are satisfying and pretty well recorded in early digital sound. The biggest disappointment in the set is the first movement of the "Eroica" - a little too laidback and too much legato for my taste. Having said that, Kegel's readings are a good introduction to the Beethoven symphonic canon and will also give more experienced listeners food for thought.

The Dresden Philharmonic, not to be confused with Dresden's "first" orchestra, the Staatskapelle, plays well. Despite a big string section, woodwind detail is nicely to the fore. The ensemble may not have the glamour of its better known municipal rival but it responds very well to Kegel's baton.

Anyone looking for a good budget set of the symphonies could do far, far worse than this set. I'm familiar with a couple of sets in competition with this one. Krips (Everest) is well played but the sound shows it age. Sawallisch's EMI cycle with the Amsterdam Congertbegouw has been licensed to Brilliant Classics at a similar price, but the Kegel set is more consistent in quality.

I've owned this set for more than a decade. When I first heard it, I put it away and didn't listen to it at all for over 5 years, such was my disappointment. After recently upgrading my sound system, I thought I'd give it another try, since it's DDD and my only other set is the Von Karajan which, while wonderful (well, who am I to say; it's what I was weaned on), is ADD. I tried the 3, 5 and 9 and was disappointed I came away calling Herr Kegel "Mr. Metronome," such was his playing style. No spirit, but maybe that just means not Karajan.

However, just today I listened to the 2, 4 and 7 and was quite impressed. Maybe it was just my mood, but they all really came through powerfully, and made the set well worth the price. I particularly love the timpanis, which sound so much more like real life in DDD than in ADD. Crank the volume up a couple of notches above whatever level you use for Karajan and you'll have the ride of your life. I think I'm going to take another listen to the 3, 5, and 9, as well as the pastorale and the 8th. Maybe I just didn't have the volume cranked up enough.

Enjoy.

PS: Dresden is where the demonstrations took place that resulted in the dissolution of the East German government. The spirit of the city should make for good Beethoven. Freiheit und Leben!