# Beethoven symphonies cycles - Systematization



## MonsieurPichon (Jun 4, 2019)

Hi all!

First of all, let me tell you: I already used the search tool, and I spend like 30 minutes searching what I'm going to ask. I had no look finding it.

I also searched in the internet and I didn't find it neither.

So here I go: does anyone knows a place where I can find a systematization (I mean a complete list, ordered by year, label, director, orchestra, etc...) of the recordings of Beethoven symphonies cycle?

The only thing I could find was this:

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-survey-of-beethoven-symphony-cycles.html

An exhausitve list, indeed, but no year information about the recording. That's completely crazy. How in the world would you make that list without history/periods of time/year of recording information?

So if anyone can help me or knows a place where I can find that info I will really appreciate it.

For better understanding, pleasego to Bach Cantatas site, a huge, huge, huge database (the most complete of all internet) about Bach works. If you don't know the site, please, give it a try (I'm also a collaborator there) because is really, really complete.

An example of the recording systematization:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/NVD/BWV846-869-Rec2.htm

Thank you very much!


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Try this site. It's obviously in need of updating, but it might be what you need:

http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Cedes/TheCds_SymphoniesComplete.html


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## MonsieurPichon (Jun 4, 2019)

Well, that's a start!

Thank you very much, I will expand it with no doubt.

=)


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

As far as the Beethoven cycles is concerned yeah, a mix of the two sites mentioned above is recommended. Otherwise just read up and start making your own list. Ionarts is the most complete round-up but there aren't recording dates, just links to the cycles from Amazon, etc. The problem is that about 3 or more cycles are added each year and there are also a number of ongoing cycles that are nearing completion. If you want any info about specific recordings then drop me a line. I have about 80-90% of the available cycles. I can't guarantee I can help you out with very specific details of some recordings but I do have a good knowledge of most available (and out of print) cycles. I know... I'm a nerd. BTW if you want to know what some of these sound like then there's plenty of samples of some on YouTube and both myself and Granate have done a series of reviews on this site (search 'Beethoven symphony cycle reviews Merl Talkclassical' on Google or swap 'Granate' for 'Merl' to get the others). I've got another part of my LvB symphony cycles in the pipeline in a few weeks (I'll review another 5 sets to take my review total to 50). The main sets have been covered by Granate.


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## MonsieurPichon (Jun 4, 2019)

Well, thank you very much, sir.

If I need some information about some recordings I will contact you, and I also will check those reviews.

I must say, if you need some information about BWV 971 (Italian Concerto) I'm an enthusiast of that piece and I have a lot of info.


Thank you very much.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

The people who ran the old lvbdb.com database of Beethoven recordings gave me their stuff but I don't have the expertise to get the site up and running again, and at this point the information is ten years out of date. But if you check that website on archive.org you can probably find what they had before they went defunct. It occurs to me that they may also have given it to Dominique, who runs the lvbeethoven.com site, so it may just duplicate what he has.


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## RuneNaljoss (1 mo ago)

Merl said:


> As far as the Beethoven cycles is concerned yeah, a mix of the two sites mentioned above is recommended. Otherwise just read up and start making your own list. Ionarts is the most complete round-up but there aren't recording dates...


FYI, I have a lot of that information in my excel sheet, but getting around to doing the symphony cycles in the same manner as the other surveys are done takes such a bloody long time that I've not yet dared.

I tried to do one with Mahler Symphonies that had a table you could organize by recording date, completeness, composer, and orchestra. But that's a html-programming nightmare for which I am probably not cut out. But _dum spiro spero_. Meanwhile I appreciate all your comments on those surveys. They are immensely helpful.

Cheers,

Jens


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Btw, Jens, here's another rare Beethoven cycle you might have missed.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

It's one I've never got round to hearing due to the fact they want $25 for a bunch of 256k mp3 files. Ermmm, no!


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## RuneNaljoss (1 mo ago)

Merl said:


> Btw, Jens, here's another rare Beethoven cycle you might have missed.
> 
> Detroit Symphony Orchestra
> 
> It's one I've never got round to hearing due to the fact they want $25 for a bunch of 256k mp3 files. Ermmm, no!


I draw a hard line at "digital-only". It must have had existed in physical form at one point, at least.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

RuneNaljoss said:


> I draw a hard line at "digital-only". It must have had existed in physical form at one point, at least.


Nps, Jens. Ooh you're a tough cookie! Will you take a couple of 'Various' ones that aren't on your list?


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Here's probably THE single most obscure Beethoven cycle ever.










Georg Ludwig Jochum (Eugen's younger brother), underrated conductor who recorded some marvelous Bruckner symphonies during WWII, never got the recognition his older brother got, though he was no less talented.
I thought that was pretty all that was left of his legacy - Bruckner, including some post-war recordings with various German orchestras (like the RIAS) and a couple of concerto accompaniments. His career seems to have petered out in the late 50's. So color me surprised to find out (thanks, discogs!) that he did a full Beethoven cycle in Chile, of all places.
The cd set must be out of print but you can listen to the full cycle at Youtube. Recorded in 1961 in decent mono - I guess distribution was hampered because in the early 60's everyone was expecting stereo? Great, lively performances with some old-school flexibility, reminiscent of Eugen's earlier recordings. The Chilean orchestra is a bit rough round the edges, but nothing too distracting, I guess you could call it "character". Jochum's vision shines through and makes you forget about the sometimes provincial playing.



https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbrZ1mwi0POK6FrvAXX0_h-DbNiKBucFz


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

RobertJTh said:


> Here's probably THE single most obscure Beethoven cycle ever.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sponsored by Chevrolet... what an odd cycle. Wow. Interesting find.


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## RuneNaljoss (1 mo ago)

RobertJTh said:


> Here's probably THE single most obscure Beethoven cycle ever.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, that was one of the funky surprises in my Beethoven Symphony Set research! 
Do you have the war-time Jochum Bros Bruckner Cycle?


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

RuneNaljoss said:


> Do you have the war-time Jochum Bros Bruckner Cycle?


It's not a complete cycle, only symphonies 2, 5 and 6 were recorded (or survived) during the war, with the Bruckner Linz Orchestra. Then in the post-war period there are recordings of the 1st (RIAS Berlin), 3rd (SWR) and 9 (RIAS). There are no available performances of 4, 7 and 8.
There's a Tahra box that combines the Georg Ludwig Jochum recordings with those of his older brother Eugen, but the Georg Ludwig 6th is missing.
But you can download them all for free in good quality at John Berky's site:





Download of the Month - Anton Bruckner


Bruckner Discography



www.abruckner.com




According to Berky there should be a stereo 7th somewhere in a German radio archive, I sure hope that one will surface one day!
The quality of the performances is stunning. He was a born Bruckner conductor and during the war he had a top-class orchestra at his disposal. We really need a box with all of his extant Bruckner, including that missing 7th.


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