Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magic, November 19, 1998
By A Customer
As far as live recordings of Beethoven go, this one delivers a knockout punch to ANY of the competition. Recorded in late 1983, this full digital CD has much to offer, with very little to be seen as anything but stupendous. To begin with, the New York Philharmonic is at its very best for this piece under the baton of maestro Mehta. His conducting is subtle, and even (dare I say it?) light. He sweetens the musical phrases to pure perfection in the First movement, and allows for the pathos of the Second to come shining through. The Fourth movement is breathtaking, with such an attention to shading, and orchestral color thatone is left almost breathless. This is no heavy teutonic reading which believes that the only correct volume for this piece is FORTISSIMO. This is supple and very well balanced. As for the singers, they are every bit up to the challenge that Maestro Mehta has put them. Salminen is as basso-profundoish as ever, and resounds splendidly in the acoustics of Avery Fisher Hall. Marliyn Horne is one of the few Mezzo/Altos who refuses to be vocally outdone in a recording of the 9th, she sounds superb here, as the twilight of her major career was upon her. The same can be said for Margaret Price, who, although not at the end of her career, has such wonderful flexiblity of tone, and does not SCREETCH on the high notes, but handles them with grace and precision. Jon Vickers is the ideal choice of any tenor for this vocal part, and performes with tremendous heroic tone, even if he is a little more wobbly than in his earlier days, it is more than made up for in the sheer power of his voice. All in all, a little bit of magic preserved on disc.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not fantastic, March 28, 2004
I was surprised when I read some of the other reviews stating that this was the ninth to own. I always thought it was a good recording, but not the best. Indeed, RCA did not think highly enough of it to put in on either gold or red label; rather, its on the silver label, RCA's more budget line.What we have here is a very solid reading of the symphony. The New York Philharmonic is in good form playing convincingly. Climaxes are strong, softer passages delicate, good balance, etc. The orchestral sound is, however, somewhat muddy and not transparent. Furthermore, this live recording has the orchestra sounding far away and distant. One of my biggest complaints about the sound of this recording is in the choral finale. The soloists are all strong, but Miss Horne is a bit too loud and a tad out of control in some passages. The chorus is good, but not outstanding - they also sound muffled and distanced from the recording equipment. However, all in all, this is a strong reading of the symphony. Mehta treats this work as a classical, not romantic symphony, and thus, tempos remain constant, and the work as a whole is convincingly played. Still, there are better versions of this symphony out there. This is a good buy, but there are better.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Performance at a Rock Bottom Bargain Price, February 8, 2009
This is a live recording and feels like one. The tempo is on the brisk side and the musical pulse is strong. Mehta paints the music with thick brush and the orchestra responds with a big heart. This is a bold playing and I like it. The first movement moves swiftly and excitingly. The second movement also swaggers powerfully. The third is still moving forward well without slighting its lyrical element. The finale has a sense of a live occasion and it gives the music a festive and joyful feeling. The chorus and soloists sing their hearts out and the music ends with a tremendous power of celebration.
It is on a bottom-priced CD. But the sound is big and bold, just like the music making. This is a rare bargain that has every merit.
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