Beethoven. The Nine Symphonies. Barenboim. Berliner Staatskapelle. Teldec.
There are dozens of Beethoven symphony cycles. Some offer chamber orchestras, period instruments, or some variation in the latest and most authentic edition of the scores. However, this is the one that keeps me coming back.
The Berliner Staatskapelle play immaculately. They have real character and warmth. Barenboim could have recorded this cycle with any orchestra of his choosing, and this decision was brilliant.
This Beethoven is full-blooded, big, and bold. Barenboim infuses an incredible sense of energy and momentum throughout all 9 pieces. There is nothing boring or slack, not even for a moment. This cycle has no weak spots, either. I could pick any disc from this set and be instantly enthralled.
Barenboim has adopted many markings of Wilhelm Furtwangler, a famous German conductor known for spontaneity, excitement, and an overarching sense of purpose throughout each movement. While Furtwangler was occasionally erratic, sometimes histrionic, and often dimly recorded, Barenboim puts a steady hand to these polished performances.
The sonics are among the best. The strings have mass, the brass ring-out, and the soundstage is huge. The orchestra plays in a warm, burnished tone, yet with immense clarity.
Beethoven is an amazing composer, and heralded the start of the Romantic era with Symphony #3. I am always struck by the sense of energy, the deceptive simplicity or many of his passages, and the fact that he gets better and better the more you listen. This is a set that sounds great the first time, and sounds even better the 10th or 25th time you listen.
There are dozens of Beethoven symphony cycles. Some offer chamber orchestras, period instruments, or some variation in the latest and most authentic edition of the scores. However, this is the one that keeps me coming back.
The Berliner Staatskapelle play immaculately. They have real character and warmth. Barenboim could have recorded this cycle with any orchestra of his choosing, and this decision was brilliant.
This Beethoven is full-blooded, big, and bold. Barenboim infuses an incredible sense of energy and momentum throughout all 9 pieces. There is nothing boring or slack, not even for a moment. This cycle has no weak spots, either. I could pick any disc from this set and be instantly enthralled.
Barenboim has adopted many markings of Wilhelm Furtwangler, a famous German conductor known for spontaneity, excitement, and an overarching sense of purpose throughout each movement. While Furtwangler was occasionally erratic, sometimes histrionic, and often dimly recorded, Barenboim puts a steady hand to these polished performances.
The sonics are among the best. The strings have mass, the brass ring-out, and the soundstage is huge. The orchestra plays in a warm, burnished tone, yet with immense clarity.
Beethoven is an amazing composer, and heralded the start of the Romantic era with Symphony #3. I am always struck by the sense of energy, the deceptive simplicity or many of his passages, and the fact that he gets better and better the more you listen. This is a set that sounds great the first time, and sounds even better the 10th or 25th time you listen.
