A light aproach to a giant | Beethoven: Les 9 Symphonies [Box Set]

A fascinating alternative to Karajan. | Beethoven: Les 9 Symphonies [Box Set] | Ludwig van Beethoven, Andr Cluytens, ...

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	• Beethoven: Les 9 Symphonies [Box Set] Ludwig van Beethoven, Andr Cluytens, ... EMI Classics France, 2006 average customer review:based on 19 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A set to return to and live with

There is a difference between seeking out outstanding versions of individual symphonies and finding a set to live with, and while there are undoubtedly performances of single symphonies here which could compete with the best, it is as a coherent and aesthetically consistent survey that Cluytens' accounts are best considered. There is a rightness to his judgement which proves enormously satisfying on repeated listenings and there is a special interest in hearing the fruits of a combination of several stellar talents: the virile, robust sound of the pre-Karajan Berlin Philharmonic, the production genius of Walter Legge working in a congenial recording acoustic, the Romantic but never indulgent interpretations of am under-rated conductor soon to die all too early at 62, and the especially fine vocal contributions from an unusual team of soloists and the wholly committed choir of St Hedwig's Cathedral - all at a very modest price on Amazon Marketplace.

Like many of my generation, as an impecunious student I became acquainted with Beethoven's symphonies through these performances when they were available as super-bargain LP's on the EMI Classics for Pleasure series. I was worried that thirty-five years later my judgement would be clouded by sentimental attachment, but countless hours of listening to scores of versions notwithstanding, I find that this set stands up wonderfully. The Pastoral and the Ninth have long been praised but you will find equally enthusiastic endorsements of every symphony here in one review or another and nowhere - well, virtually nowhere - do you find a discouraging word. They are not the last word in individuality, nor do they bear the stamp of a particular approach, but Cluytens seems to understand and appreciate the spirit and heart of this music. No-one captures the cat-like tread of the opening of the Fourth the way Cluytens does; rhythms and accents are beautifully sprung and he pays close attention to dynamics. I was also especially pleased to discover that Nicolai Gedda, not always a favourite artist, was hugely more impressive than I remembered him in the Choral, and the soaring refulgence of Gre Brouwenstijn's soprano is a special treat.

The remastered stereo sound is warm and spacious; excellent for recordings made between 1957 and 1959. This is an EMI France import with a minimal documentation in French only. There are other super-bargain sets but listening to this one again for the first time in so long confirmed why I had simply given away CfP's modern issue with Mackerras: its relentless, insensitive briskness repelled me. I see no reason why this set in its remastered form should not serve to seduce another generation of potential Beethovenians.

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A light aproach to a giant

It is a real superb rendition of the symphonies clear and crisp, although I think its lacking the power needed in some of them like in the 1 mov of the fifth. But its strength is the slow movements, they are not rush in any way, sublime its the word. Maybe a little to slow but better than a speedy one.

A fascinating alternative to Karajan.

It's illuminating to play these recordings alongside the 1960's H V Karajan recordings. With the orchestra and recording technology identical, one can fairly compare the conductors, and in most instances, I would favor Cluytens.
Among the recordings of Beethoven from the late 1950's to mid-sixties, I would prefer Szell, Ormandy (some of which have never appeared on cd), or for a radically different viewpoint, Bernstein. The Cluytens has the edge over Klemperer, Bohm and Masur, as well as the 60's Haitink and Kareajan recordings. Can't beat the current price, either.

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The others are right - a set to live with and return to

This set of Beethoven's symphonies was my second foray into classical music, the first being Ivan Moravec's enchanting, if idiosyncratic, set of Chopin's Nocturnes. For the life of me, I don't remember what drew me to Chopin or the Nocturnes, but I can clearly recall what pointed me to Beethoven. Remember how Windows used to include a cheap recording of the first movement of the 5th in your My Music folder after a fresh install?

At the time, I wasn't particularly concerned with getting a certain recording. I simply punched in "Beethoven Symphones" and bought this since it came up near the top and had a lot of good reviews.

I grew impatient waiting for my set to arrive and curiosity got the better of me so I started looking at some of the other sets. "Wow," I thought, "what a difference!" There was everything from stately Klemperer to lightning-fast Zinman and everything in between. A few of the HIP sets caught my attention and I started to wonder whether my somewhat slower-paced Cluytens set would sound as good.

In fact, it did - and then some. No matter what I put it up against, there was something incredibly satisfying about Cluytens' judgment in this set that brought me back to it over and over again. I first noticed it in opening moments of the 7th's first movement. Right as it opens with that crescendo, it's like hearing the equivalent of seeing the sun rise. It's so noble, so radiant, that you can't help but be impressed.

I don't have moments like that with the HIP crowd because they zoom right past them. I also don't care for their period instruments or the way they're so dead-set on cutting down the number of performers. Paavo Jarvi's set, for instance, sounds like chamber music to me. I could care less what they say about it being 'historically informed'; the modern approach espoused by Cluytens is what does it for me. OK, OK, rant over! Please don't come after me with historically-informed weapons.

In the end, I would be hard pressed to recommend another set of Beethoven's symphonies either in terms of price or quality. The only real knock I have against it is that the notes are in French. But who cares? When the music says more in a minute than the notes ever could, your ears can tell you all you'd even need to know about this music.

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lyrical, nimble and passionate beethoven

i add my enthusiastic agreement with the consensus superlatives lavished on this recording cycle. the most direct way to say it: i own the complete beethoven cycles by karajan, klemperer, szell, bohm, harnoncourt, hogwood, gardiner, vanska, abbado, and what's available from furtwangler and kleiber ... and the cluytens set is irreplaceable and indispensible. it's the kind of performance that you listen to after a long interval with the immediate recognition that it sounds better than you remember -- or perhaps i mean better every time.

rank recordings however you will along the dimensions of historical accuracy, conductor stylization, sonic excellence or orchestral virtuosity, and what comes through most directly with this cluytens set is the kind of sheer human exuberance, musical pleasure and heartfelt performance commitment that makes history irrelevant, stylization unthinkable, virtuosity subservient and sound ... well, the sound on this recording is excellent. strings, brass, winds are delicately separated on the sound stage, and the full dynamic and pitch range is presented without distortion, remarkable for recordings made in 1957-60.

if i had to choose one keyword for this performance, it would be "operatic". the music reacts and declaims with a kind of verdian passion, color and nimbleness, the tempos well match the breath of the musical themes, melodies are shaped with a declamatory poignancy and dramatic perfection -- but everything is (to my ear) well within the acceptable bounds of classical style. ritardandos are never wrung out to a pause, the allegro and scherzo movements are brisk and crisp; the adagios are lyrical without lagging; the strings in the 2nd symphony are in sync, scintillating and fiery; the horns in the 8th are warm and glowing; the first movement of the pastoral symphony is wholesome and atmospheric; the 9th symphony is a glorious and unanimous exaltation. the included dramatic overtures (egmont, prometheus, fidelio) are also beautifully narrated.

some beethoven performances create the atmosphere of a music history lecture, or an acrobatic act, or a populist rally, or a perfectly tuned machine ... but with cluytens you want to sing along, at the top of your lungs.

the set is compactly packaged in the usual 2/4 cd box with one fold out tray. as other reviewers have noted, the slim 6 page booklet is entirely in french (c'est bien le grand orchestre philharmonique de berlin qui nous concern!), but no matter: the listing of cd programs and track times takes up 3 pages.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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Tracks
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio | Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantabile con moto | Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto (Allegro molto e vivace) | Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 4. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace | Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 1. Allegro con brio | Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 2. Larghetto | Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace) & Trio | Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 4. Finale (Allegro molto - Poco andante - Presto) | Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus (The Creatures of Prometheus), ballet, Op. 43: Ouverture, Op. 43 | Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio | Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 2. Larghetto | Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo (Allegro) & Trio | Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 4. Allegro molto | Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 1. Adagio - Allegro molto | Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 2. Adagio | Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 3. Menuetto (Allegro vivace) | Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 4. Allegro ma non troppo | Egmont, incidental music, Op. 84: Ouverture, Op. 84 | Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 1. Allegrto con brio | Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 2. Andante con moto | Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 3. Allegro | Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 4. Allegro - Presto | Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace | Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 2. Allegretto | Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 3. Presto - Assai meno presto - Presto | Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 4. Allegro con brio | Leonore Overture No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b | Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 1. Allegro non troppo - Eveil d'impressions agréables en arrivant à la campagne | Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 2. Andante molto mosso - Scène au bord du ruisseau | Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 3. Allegro - Réunion joyeuse de paysans | Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 4. Allegro - Orage - Tempête | Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 5. Allegretto - Chant des bergers. Sentiments joyeux et reconnaissants après l'orage | Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio | Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 2. Allegro scherzando | Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 3. Tempo di menuetto | Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 4. Allegro vivace | Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso | Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 2. Molto vivace | Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 3. Adagio molto e cantabile | Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 4. Presto - Allegro

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