# Your picks for Beethoven's 5th (Saturday Symphony)



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm really enjoying Bix's Saturday Symphonies post.

Each week I've been really looking forward to listening to one particular work on Saturday with every one else who is participating. And, each week I'm always interested to see which recordings everyone is listening too.

This Saturday is Beethoven's 5th and I was thinking about which recording I was going to listen to (lord knows how many recordings there are for this work) and I started thinking maybe I would try to get each members top 3-5 favorite recordings of this particular work.

In part, to maybe give some listeners this weekend an idea for a new recording they may want to try, but also to maybe see if there are a few that pop up frequently that may serve as "reference recordings" so to speak if there actually are some people who haven't really heard this symphony and would like a common starting point.

Anyone want to share their favorite recordings of this old warhorse?


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Furtwängler 23 may 1954 Berlin ..............................just the best.

Carlos Kleiber on Deutsche Grammophon. one of the greatest studio recordings


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Bernstein on Sony with the New York Philharmonic. Some think the performance is too slow and mannered, but I think Beethoven would have approved of its passion.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

Surprise surprise here.. I'm going to listen to it for the very first time - in full at least, I saw part of a live performance on television once (unaware what it was, suspecting it was one of Beethoven's overtures until it appeared on the screen and I turned the TV off!). I'll go for Furtwängler, Kleiber or Szell tomorrow, sound system full volume.. (I also have Mahler's third saved.) 

I suppose those three are generally seen as among the best..


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

My favourite would probably be by Wilhelm Furtwangler and the VPO:
View attachment 23328


Although this recording with the BPO is just as compelling:
View attachment 23329


Although I don't find it as definitive as some, I also enjoy Carlos Kleiber's take on the piece:
View attachment 23332


If I want a different approach I go with Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of EU:
View attachment 23331


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I'll add a couple of my picks as well...

For oldies:
Erich Kleiber & The Concertgebouw Orchestra 1953 (Decca)
Wilhelm Furtwangler & The Berlin Philharmonic 1954 (Tahara)

Early stereo
Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic
George Szell & either The Concertgebouw Orchestra or The Cleveland Orchestra (I like both)

More modern:
Herbert Blomstedt & The Staatskapelle Dresden
Gunter Wand & The NDR Symphony Orchestra

More HIP:
Nikolaus Harnoncourt & The Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
Roger Norrington & The Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart (It's "live" as well as leaps and bounds better than the London Players Recording)


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

I think I'll probably listen to the Carlos Kleiber.

Here are some others that I like:

Karajan; Berliner Philharmoniker (1963)








Toscanini; NBC Symphony Orchestra (1952)


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

I spend the most time listening to:
- Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony Orchestra 1958
- Karajan 1963
- George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra 1963

and when I want to treat myself to the best it's Carlos Kleiber/VPO.


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## jimsumner (Jul 7, 2013)

Carlos Kleiber is the clichéd answer.

For a reason.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Carlos Kleiber 
KArajan 63 or 77
Harnoncourt
Klemperer for a more momumental, slower revolution.
Chailly if you want it fast and somewhat superficial.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

VPO/C. Kleiber ('74), BPO/HvK ('63 & '77), ACO/Szell ('67), CSO/Solti ('74), DK Bremen/P. Jarvi (c'06).


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

hvk 63, Bernstein Sony, Klempy live EMI.
Giulini L.A. for the first movement.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm afraid I don't know very many recordings to have a top 3....but I really love Norrington's.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Along with Norrington, I just discovered Dorati's recording with the LSO on Mercury. Can't figure out which one I like more!


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Favorites: Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic (1963) DG and Solti/ViennaPhilharmonic (1958-59) London/Decca


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Carlos Kleiber on Deutsche Grammophon.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Gardiner/ORR on Archiv. This is the best performance I know of. The first movement, in particular, is downright terrifying.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Honeck/Pittsburgh and Dorati/LSO top my listening list at the moment but Herreweghe is getting a play too.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

My favourite is Karajan; Berliner Philharmoniker (1963), even above Kleiber, which I also like a lot.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Another vote for Carlos Kleiber. There are many fine recordings out there but he and the Vienna Phil play as if their lives depended on it.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

The Kleiber is legendary and good (although not as good as its legend) but my current favorite is Wand with North German Radio Symphony Orchestra.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Itullian said:


> Klempy live *EMI.*


I suppose you mean on Testament.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

But I find the studio Mono on EMI superior to all other recordings he made including the Vox and Testament Live (either with Philharmonia or Berlin Philharmonic).


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Mal said:


> My favourite is Karajan; Berliner Philharmoniker (1963), even above Kleiber, which I also like a lot.


Agree about the 1963 Karajan, but I've never been that crazy about Kleiber, IF you're referring to Carlos.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Haydn67 said:


> Agree about the 1963 Karajan, but I've never been that crazy about Kleiber, IF you're referring to Carlos.


If I'm being *really* honest, I'm not that crazy about it myself. It's just everybody raves about it, so I think I should like it more than I do, and maybe I will after another listen. (Note to self: be more honest, point out that emperor without any clothes...) I'm also not crazy about Kleiber's 7th, preferring Karajan '63 again.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I feel slightly embarrassed to admit this. My favourite Beethoven 5 is a live 1996 Proms recording by Vanska and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, released by the BBC in 1997 in association with their Music magazine. Vanska gets the tempi absolutely spot on and knows when to bring out individual voices and when to draw the whole orchestra together. The 5th is paired with a really lively, scampering performance of the 7th, full of energy. Sometimes the spontaneity of a live recording really adds something, and I think this is one of those cases.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Pat Fairlea said:


> My favourite Beethoven 5 is a live 1996 Proms recording by Vanska and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra... The 5th is paired with a really lively, scampering performance of the 7th, full of energy.


On the evidence of utube I can see what you mean by "full of energy". Great stuff.






Note, old BBC Music Magazine CDs can be bought on Amazon UK. I also find some (not all!) of the BBC Magazine CDs are winners, e.g., Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier, - from the 1998 proms.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Mal said:


> I'm also not crazy about Kleiber's 7th....


Neither am I. Too fast for me. Just to further clarify in my previous post above, I was implying I wasn't especially enamored with Carlos' Beethoven Fifth, though I do like the Fifth his father, Erich, recorded with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Same would be true as applied to the Seventh.


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