# Beethoven Symphonies



## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

How do you like your Beethoven Symphonies? Full modern Orch., Chamber Orch., or on "Original Instruments". For myself I like the Modern Orch.


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## StevenOBrien (Jun 27, 2011)

Full modern orchestra.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Modern orchestra, no singers.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Both (or all four) work as well as they are performed.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Definitely the full modern orchestra!

Also Liszt's piano transcriptions of the symphonies. Liszt's transcriptive powers are extraordinary, and I would definitely not hesitate to call the transcriptions ultimately symphonic. Liszt didn't wish to transcribe the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th on the reasonable grounds that the piano can never do justice to the monumental work. But it has a regalness of its own: I've listened to a few recordings of the transcription cycle, and I find that I like Leslie Howard's performance the best.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I'm not a stickler for historically accurate performances and so period instruments are not important to me. I enjoy the fullness of sound that the modern orchestra gives to Beethoven, and so I'm partial to recordings that use the full modern orchestra, but I also own copies of period instrument versions and occasionally that's what I listen to.

Kevin


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Prefer full modern orchestra with one caveat; 2nd violins must be on right side. (as written).


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

If I'm going to hear a Beethoven symphony live at my local big concert hall, modern orchestra is helpful. The hall needs a big sound to acoustically fill it up.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Toscanini!


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

I think of Full Modern Orchestra.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Not to be cliché, but I most enjoy the Klemperer cycle.

In my defense, it became my favorite long before I learned that it was the "in" thing [for some people at least] to like him.

I am a little bit obsessive about the strict observation of tempo, probably because I have always practiced the piano and violin with a metronome, and there, in the final movement of the ninth symphony, is a strike of five D's in the trombones, just 15 or so measures before the first statement of the primary melody of that movement in the celli and contrabasses.









[Edit: Sorry I didn't capture the whole cross section of the score, the notes are performed by the D-Trombones, below which is the timpani; the string section is directly below those]

I find these notes being rushed unnecessarily in almost every recording that I know, except the Klemperer recording [I also like Toscanini]. I can't explain why that bothers me so much, as these notes aren't very substantial in the entirety of the work. Still, my attachment to Klemperer's recordings is guided by a great deal more than five notes. I enjoy all of his recordings, especially of the Brahms Symphonies: his recording of the Academic Festival Overture is my favorite!

The recording cycle that I like the least is surely Sir Simon Rattle's. Strange tempi and a little too much Romanticizing exuberance for my taste. Still, a lot of people like his recordings. I try not to take these things too seriously, music is meant to be enjoyed. Let people enjoy their favorite recordings.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Clavichorder, I got to see a performance of the Missa Solemnis in Chicago in March. It was such an extraordinary experience, especially since the work is so infrequently performed! 

Great concert hall, exquisite performance. Such music deserves the acoustic strength of the full modern orchestra.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

I have versions by a wide variety of conductors - Toscanini, Norrington, Karajan (63), Klemperer (studio and radio broadcasts) and Harnoncourt. All have certain merits, none is perfect. If the sound was better Toscanini is tremendous but Karajan still is a pretty good, middle-of-the-road cycle.


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

DavidA said:


> If the sound was better Toscanini is tremendous but Karajan still is a pretty good, middle-of-the-road cycle.


Definitely! You really can't go wrong with Karajan. Sometimes mediocre, but never bad. The Toscanini series are difficult. Carnegie recordings with medial performance but good sound quality, or '39 NBC amazing performance but poor sound... It's an unfortunate trade-off! Those are the only two that I have heard, but perhaps the later recordings are better in both regards?


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The newest Toscanini remasters in the box set sound great. Some of the recordings are a bit dry in ambience, but a little DSap fixes that right up. I was listening to the live Eroica today and it sounded very good. The Furtwangler box is like that too. Better sound in the box than on a lot of the individual issues.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Full modern orchestra, maximum volume, and listeners thinking about the future, not the past.


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## jani (Jun 15, 2012)

Period instruments! They have certain rawness that modern instruments don't have.
Too Clear/polished sound can be bad sometimes IMO!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

As all great music Beethoven's symphonies can take all sorts of (good) performances. When the interpreter has something to say, one can always find something new in the music. As someone else here I don't care for the Rattle. The musicianship is without question but it sounds if he has not quite decided whether he wants to be period / classical / romantic. Fills one with unease.


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2012)

I like both modern and HIP. As others have said, Beethoven bears out well regardless.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

In two words: Well played.


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