Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
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Free Music Notes for Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos
Free Music Review: Klemperer and Walter on Beethoven
Hit: 5 Stars
In Ms. Quinn's review of this Klemperer Beethoven set, she refers to Bruno Walter's Beethoven symphony set on Columbia,which she describes as done with the "?Chicago Symphony". I believe she's referring to the late 1950s Columbia/Walter stereo set made in LA with the "Columbia Symphony", a pickup orchestra of LA"s best studio musicians. Columbia's producer assembled that orchestra specifically for Dr. Walter, thereby giving that great conductor an opportunity to record what turned out to be his last thoughts on Beethoven, Brahms, and others. I believe this Walter set deserves to be placed alongside Klemperer's, von Karajan's (1962 series), and Toscanini's (1949-1952 series) as an exemplar of surpassingly great Beethoven performances. I grew up with the Toscanini set and still listen to it---but there is no one way of playing these symphonies.
To give just one example: Each of the four Eroicas in these sets presents a unique view of this greatest of all symphonies. Von Karajan and Toscanini offer unstoppable forward momentum while treating the even-numbered movements differently. Walter sees in the score a beauty that I haven't heard elsewhere; and Klemperer shows how inevitable the Eroica is when you can hear all the notes. If I had to live with just two, I'd choose one of the two EMI Klemperers: Either this stereo Klemperer or the 1955 mono Klemperer (available separately in EMI's Great Recordings of the Century series)---and my other choice would be the 1949 Toscanini Eroica. I don't believe that I can live with just one Eroica.
Free Music Review: strange fifth first movement
Hit: 5 Stars
I had to get this set after trying to get through the ninth on the Cluytens set, which I found to be a total disaster, though I liked the 5,6 and 7th. I'm holding off on the rest of that set, but, has anyone noticed two very odd sounding brief passages about 3/4 of the way into the first movement of the Klemperer recording of the 5th? I've liked the 6th, 7th and 8th, and haven't gotten to the rest. Somewhat slow at times, but that has never been an issue for me, and they all have a kind of thrust and weight that the Cluytens lack though I like both approaches. So, I'm interested in hearing from people about these two odd passages in the latter part of the 5th, first movement, where there is a sharp loss of volume and an emphasis on a brief passage that repeats twice and isn'tlike any other I've ever heard. Thanks, GaryFree Music Review: What's not to like?
Hit: 5 Stars
For me, this is the top choice for stereo Beethoven cycles. Klemperer conducted with a grandeur that is sadly not to be found among today's conductor's. His "Eroica" is still among the best around alongside Furtwangler, Abendroth & Weingartner. His 9th is easily a top 10 choice, behind a couple by Furtwangler (of course), Weingartner, Reiner and Fricsay. The rest of the set is also very solid, especially 4 and 6 (one of the very best, after Walter and Bohm) without a subpar performance in the bunch. As an added bonus, you get a high caliber set of the piano concertos by Barenboim and Klemperer, though not quite of the quality of Fleisher/Szell or Kempff/Van Kempen. When you factor in the cost (You can usually find it for under $40) this great set is a steal.Free Music Review: Great performances
Hit: 5 Stars
These are classic, fine performances of the Beethoven symphonic and piano concerto canon by one of the great artists of the 20th century. They are not necessarily the most passionate or electrifying of Klemperer's recorded legacy; those belong to many of the live performances recorded from the early 1950's through the early 1960's. So why get this set (besides the price, which is a steal)?
The answer is that these are by far the best recorded of Klemperer's Beethoven performances and showcase his extraordinarily meticulous attention to balance, phrasing and dynamics. Always present is the nearly unique command of long-term tension and release, the command of the structure of each symphony or concerto as a whole, and the innate sense of musical drama which makes his performances so satisfying. The Philharmonia is ideally suited to Klemperer's vision, with its sure-footed brass, solo-quality first-chair winds and elegant but light strings. Klemperer may not have cared particularly about orchestral sound - his was most often called granitic -- but the results are certainly beautiful. And the recorded sound allows us to hear all of this. EMI lavished its skills on these recordings, making them in the marvelous acoustics of Kingsway hall; they sound warm, detailed and natural.
Klemperer's vision of Beethoven is powerful and uncompromising. Yes, the tempi are slow in the faster movements, but there is a fierce intelligence and indominable spirit that radiates through these performances and makes them towering and, at their best, earth-shaking. Klemperer had a special affinity for Beethoven. Both men's lives were compromised by chronic health issues and pain: for Beethoven, the deafness and chronic indigestion and bowel-problems; for Klemperer, the brain tumor, resulting partial paralysis, broken bones, and the manic-depression. Both men were notoriously cranky and crabby. And yet both men created (or recreated) music which expresses the human spirit's triumph over adversity as well as music of extraordinary beauty.
No-one would call Klemperer's Beethoven crisp or fleet. Even though he was a truly 20th century conductor in eschewing the rhetorical gestures of romanticism and focusing on the holy writ of the score, he was enough of a child of 19th century Germany to favor a massive and hortatory approach, with prominent brass, thundering tympani and dramatic underlining.
In the concerti, the young Barenboim and the old Klemperer seem to cancel out each other's idiosynracies to produce some of the finest performances of the concerti on record. Again, these are recorded in splendid sound which barely shows its age.
At this price, there is no reason not to purchase this set. Whether this will be your favorite Beethoven symphony set will depend on your personal taste; but it is important enough to reward your careful listening, even if it's only from time to time.
Free Music Review: Majestic
Hit: 5 Stars
Otto Klemperer... I admire him very much. Because, he conducted and performed the music just it should be, in the manner directly of composer. He didn't add his personal feelings to music, like Karajan. He just interpreted in the way, how it must be. And his majestic, grand character directly touches the soul of the listener.
Especially, in Beethoven and Mahler (who personally know him), he is really referance. In that box-set, you will find the darkest, most noble, unsentimental but so deep, most philosophic readings of the Beethoven Symphonies. Klemperer, as you know, sometimes takes the tempi slower than normal, but because of the all notes must be heared cleanly and the all notes must have an meaningful expression. You will impressed especially when you listen 3 (Eroica), 5 and of course 9th Sym. By the way, this set includes so impressive Leonore No. 3 and dramatic Coriolan Overtures, they are really worth to listen and experience the majesty of Klemperer.
By the way, Piano Concertos are very good too. Barenboim is a good pianist, who have a very beautiful color when he's playing. He has a deep character too, but everyone is not love always his performances. OK, he is not Wilhelm Kempff, but anyway, he is a great musician.
But, you should buy that, especially for Klemperer's performances of Symphonies. Highly recommended.