# Best Beethoven complete symphonies set?



## GradusAdParnassum (May 31, 2017)

I'm looking to get a complete symphonies set on CD. Right now I stream all of my music on Spotify so I'm not sure if there are some higher quality options that I'm missing out on. Recommendations?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Gunter Wand set is very fine.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

GradusAdParnassum said:


> I'm looking to get a complete symphonies set on CD. Right now I stream all of my music on Spotify so I'm not sure if there are some higher quality options that I'm missing out on. Recommendations?


There are several threads on this site with the ansewer:

http://www.talkclassical.com/22952-beethoven-symphony-cycle-best.html

For HIP: http://www.talkclassical.com/22761-recommend-me-hip-beethoven.html

http://www.talkclassical.com/41178-what-some-must-own.html


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If you like larger than life Beethoven, von Karajan's 1963 set is hard to beat. And the sound is fine - stereo and clear.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Toscanini/NBC - classic performances


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## GradusAdParnassum (May 31, 2017)

Weston said:


> If you like larger than life Beethoven, von Karajan's 1963 set is hard to beat. And the sound is fine - stereo and clear.


Thanks for the reply. I've already discovered that recording on Spotify. It's packaged in a huge collection called 'Karajan Symphony Edition'. Has all of Beethoven, bunch of Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Bruckner etc.

Larger than life is definitely how I'd describe it. Tremendous sound and energy. My only complaint is that Karajan skips the repeat in the Eroica first movement. But it's definitely my favorite Beethoven set of those I've found.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

GradusAdParnassum said:


> Thanks for the reply. I've already discovered that recording on Spotify. It's packaged in a huge collection called 'Karajan Symphony Edition'. Has all of Beethoven, bunch of Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Bruckner etc.
> 
> Larger than life is definitely how I'd describe it. Tremendous sound and energy. My only complaint is that Karajan skips the repeat in the Eroica first movement. But it's definitely my favorite Beethoven set of those I've found.


Bernstein performs it with the Wiener Philharmoniker.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Weston said:


> If you like larger than life Beethoven, von Karajan's 1963 set is hard to beat. And the sound is fine - stereo and clear.


This is a good set, Bernstein with the Vienna is fine and Haitink with the R.C.O still on of my favourites.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

GradusAdParnassum said:


> Thanks for the reply. I've already discovered that recording on Spotify. It's packaged in a huge collection called 'Karajan Symphony Edition'. Has all of Beethoven, bunch of Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Bruckner.


The "Karajan symphony edition" set is that from the 70's, this are 1963 recordings, as indicated...


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Hmmm ... I have so many complete sets. Several dozen at least.
One of these days I'll have to actually listen to some of them. I have heard that this Beethoven fellow is pretty good ... for a classical composer, I mean.
But of the sets I have, I can readily recommend Rudolf Kempe with the Munich Philharmonic. This is elemental Beethoven performed in a way I believe the composer himself would have approved of: a way close to the way Beethoven himself likely heard this music. Not too slick, not too big, a bit roughshod around the edges ... but definitely elemental Beethoven. Good performances of great music. And the set shouldn't break a budget.


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## classfolkphile (Jun 25, 2017)

hpowders said:


> The Gunter Wand set is very fine.


2nd this (the NDR release). The only one that falls flat is the 3rd and Wand and the NDR superbly re-recorded it live a year or two later in a version that perfectly completes the set. Of the 20 or so sets I've heard this is the only one that - for me - succeeds in more than 5 symphonies.

I'm starting to listen to the last Abbado/BPO and the Barenboim/SB. Both sound promising.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

I like Szell's but Karajan's is also a good bet


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

GradusAdParnassum said:


> Thanks for the reply. I've already discovered that recording on Spotify. It's packaged in a huge collection called 'Karajan Symphony Edition'. Has all of Beethoven, bunch of Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Bruckner etc.
> 
> Larger than life is definitely how I'd describe it. Tremendous sound and energy. My only complaint is that Karajan skips the repeat in the Eroica first movement. But it's definitely my favorite Beethoven set of those I've found.


Fyi, the recordings on the Karajan Symphony Edition are from his 1977 set, not the 1963 set.


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

Heliogabo said:


> The "Karajan symphony edition" set is that from the 70's, this are 1963 recordings, as indicated...


^^^Yes, didn't see this before I pointed this out myself :cheers:


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

I second the recommendation for Wand/NDR ... Overall, the best set. Every rendition is excellent and it features one of the two best 9ths (Karajan 1963 the other).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tallisman said:


> I like Szell's but Karajan's is also a good bet


Yes, Szell/CO is a very good set. So is Solti/COS and both Walters - NYPO, ColSO


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Whenever I've put on a Beethoven symphony lately, it's been with Mariss Jansons and Bavarian Radio Symphony. It's on spotify and has some interesting modern pieces too


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

GradusAdParnassum said:


> I'm looking to get a complete symphonies set on CD. Right now I stream all of my music on Spotify so I'm not sure if there are some higher quality options that I'm missing out on. Recommendations?


Which performances on Spotify did you like? That may help us determine what sort of performance you like.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

There are so many really fine sets of Beethoven symphonies it's impossible to say which is THE best or most preferable. Different people have different preferences of course , but I've heard so many recordings of the Beethoven symphonies, both complete sets , parts of complete ones and ones that were not part of a complete set , it's impossible for me to pick a favorite one . 
And there are so many I haven't hears at all ! There have been thousands of recordings of the Beethoven symphonies in nearly a century of recorded sound, all the way form the primitive pre-electrical Artur Nickish and theBerlin Philharmonic of the fifth , ones by such legendary conductors who lived in the 19th century as Felix Weingartner, Toscanini, Furtwangler, Bruno Walter, Beecham ,
Klemperer, and others , to ones by today's leading conductors , Kent Nagano, Riccardo Chailly, 
Barenboim, Muti, Thielemann , and others . 
Not to mention the period instrument recordings of Norrington, Gardiner, Hogwood , Frans Bruggen and others . Just go to arkivmusic.com and look at the lists of all the Beethoven symphony recordings they have , including ones by conductors you've probably never heard of !
But I don't think you can go wrong with any of these sets : Bernstein/Vienna Phil. Karajan /Berlin Phil . (1960s set there are two other later ones ) , Solti/Chicago (1970s first version , 
Klemperer/Philharmonia , Chailly /Gerwandhaus orchestra , Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin, 
Rattle / Vienna , Harmoncourt / Chamber orchestra of Europe . 
They're all different , and different in interesting ways .


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

We need a poll. I think we get max 16 choices, so can put in the top 16 LvB symphony cycles. The results should provide the answer for many looking for a cycle. We could even have multiple polls, one for historic cycles, one for modern, one for in between, split out fast, medium and slow tempos. Then we could have half a dozen polls, each with 16 cycles. Once those are done, we could take the top two cycles from each poll and run them in a finalist poll. Who wants to be in charge of this endeavour?


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## E Cristobal Poveda (Jul 12, 2017)

I honestly just download youtube recordings and then etch them into records


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

As mentioned there are several threads on this subject currently going. I have a number of sets and have divested myself of many more. For HIP performance I prefer Gardiner. For all around good recordings of all 9, I would urge you listen to Szell, Blomstedt, Bruno Walter, and Barenboim (Staatskapelle Orchestra). Those four are solid 1-9 as far as I'm concerned. Barenboim's set has the best sound of those.


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