# My personal Beethoven symphonies journey......



## Itullian

Well, I have done my first 2 loves as far as symphonies go, so Ludwig can't be far behind.
The first complete symphony set I ever bought was the '63 Karajan DGG set on vinyl.
It was so beautiful, the black and yellow discs, the cover, the beautiful booklet.
I couldn't believe it was mine. I was 19 iirc.
I have loved many sets since then and will list my current sets.
So it's time for the big kahuna. 
I hope you enoy the thread and will participate in it.
Thanks :tiphat:

My current sets:
Abbado, DG, Vienna Phil.
Barenboim, Teldec
Bernstein, DG
Bernstein, Sony
Bohm, DG
Davis, Philips
Giulini, Sony
Haitink, LSO live
Jochum, EMI/Warner
Karajan, 60's, 70's, 80's, DG
Klemperer, EMI/Warner
Konwitchny, Berlin
Solti, 70's, 80's
Szell, Sony
Thielemann, Sony
Walter, Sony
Wand, RCA

If I forgot any I'll add them later.
My favorites are Klemperer, Walter, Konwitchny, Jochum and Bernstein
I know those are not to popular taste, but oh well. 
Time for you guys to chime in.
A special nod to Merl, who I'm sure, couldn't wait for this. 
Thanks and enjoy. :tiphat:


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## Oldhoosierdude

I have a few. 

In no order

Leibowitz 
Szell 
Barenboim 1999
Walter 
Kletzki 
Morris 
Blomstedt 
Krips
And partials of kleiber and fricsay. I did have Immerseel's set but gave it away to my regret.

Fav all around set is Barenboim for ots sound quality.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Now another challenge for you

Your Holst the Planets journey!


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## Merl

Just worked my way thru my old list and updated it and I'm on 141 sets ( very silly) . No, Itullian, I'm not listing them. I have a few that Ionarts doesn't have on his list either but I've sent 2 PMs to help update his blog and they were ignored. He doesn't have Slatkin, Michael Sanderling or Abendroth on his list.


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## Itullian

Merl said:


> Just worked my way thru my old list and updated it and I'm on 141 sets ( very silly) . No, Itullian, I'm not listing them. I have a few that Ionarts doesn't have on his list either but I've sent 2 PMs to help update his blog and they were ignored. He doesn't have Slatkin, Michael Sanderling or Abendroth on his list.


How about listing your top 25?


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## Kiki

If we're not limited to sets...

My first Beethoven (on cassette) was Bernstein/Vienna No. 5 (DG). I thought WOW then. Now I think YUK!

My first set (on LPs) was Klemperer (EMI). I thought it was nice, then I grew to hate its slowness, but later on I "discovered" that it wasn't that slow in fact. Relatively speaking.

My first digital Beethoven (on LP) was Kurt Sanderling (EMI). Enough said.

My first Karajan was his 76/77 No. 5 (DG). I thought it was too rushed. Not anymore. He's pretty slow in Beethoven generally speaking.

My first Karajan set was the 80's set (DG). How should I describe that parvenu taste of those golden beams on the LP box cover?

My first Furty was his Bayreuth No. 9. To put it nicely, it's not my cup of tea. Neither is his EMI set.

The first Furty that sent me shivers was his 1947 No. 5 (DG). Just special.

I came to late Bruno Walter's Beethoven late in life, and to put it nicely, I decided I had better things to do in my life. The only other maestro that stirred up an equally negative feeling in me was Thielemann (Sony). Do you know how many lobsters instead the same amount of money can buy, which IMO is a much more worthwhile way to spend the money?

Tossy? I don't know why I ended up with two sets of his 1939 cycle. Even though Tossy's set is nice to have. Life is a mystery.

The first time I thought conductors of yesteryears had left us something really special was when I listened to Szell, Scherchen, Mravinsky and to certain extent Weingartner.

The latest time I thought a modern conductor was equally special was Vriend (Northstar). And before him, Ádám Fischer (Naxos), Haitink (LSO live) and Chailly (Decca)

Come to think about it, I don't have any Neville Marriner record of Beethoven. Shocking!

My first HIP Beethoven was Harnoncourt (Teldec) on modern instruments. Best of both worlds? Back then it certainly was. Back then.

My first HIP Beethoven on period instruments was... I don't remember, probably Gardiner (Archiv) which doesn't sound quite like HIP, or Norrington (EMI) which has got everything unsavoury about HIP.

Having said that, nowadays give me Krivine, Immerseel, Brüggen, Haselböck any day and I'll be happy.

Oh Jordi Savall's No. 3. Now that's special, but it's not a set.

And Oh Kleiber junior. Since there is no complete set, his efforts have become legendary.

The first set that I'm totally happy with... there's no such thing. It's sad. Do you have one?

That's my journey so far. It's probably worth two cents.


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## jegreenwood

Toscanini NBC/RCA
Walter CSO
Szell Sony Japanese SACD (an indulgence, but I had to have it)
Klemperer EMI/Warner
HvK EMI/Warner
HvK DG 63 SACD
Masur Pentatone SACD
Haitink LSO SACD
Gardiner

Various individual recordings including the recently purchased Furtwangler WWII radio set.

I've gotten rid of a few as well, including Harnoncourt and Norrington. I owned the Solti set on LP.


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## Merl

Itullian said:


> How about listing your top 25?


Jeezo, Itullian! I can give you around 20 I recommend above the rest but even that list is perpetually changing apart from a few
Give me 20 mins.


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## joen_cph

As regards complete sets, I've tried to cover big contrasts and differences in the various sets, plus I like a rather temperamental/fiery playing style.

- Mengelberg
- Toscanini, late cycle
- Furtwängler (various individual recordings, not no.2)
- Scherchen- Westminster (not no.9)
- Scherchen - Suizzera Italiana 
- Karajan 6x
- Karajan 7x
- Leibowitz
- Bernstein/NYPO
- Blomstedt 
- Skrowaczewski
- Gardiner
- Zinman

I culled
- Karajan/EMI
- Konwitschny
- Bernstein/VPO

didn't have much against them, they just didn't provide a lot of contrast to some of the others, I felt.


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## Guest

I'm not going to post everything I have here. But I will say that my very first exposure to Beethoven was from the entire DG Beethoven Bicentennial collection which my father had purchased. I believe all of the Symphonies were performed by HvK with Berlin. A few years back my brother took the lion's share of those LP's and only left behind the ones he didn't know (luckily he didn't know how wonderful the Kempff/Menuhin recordings of the violin Sonatas are). So I'd say this was a great start. I listened to the Symphonies mostly as a kid, on one of the two record players we had. I think these are the 60s recordings.


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## Guest

i have only ever purchased 4 full sets. The rest have been acquired on an individual basis, mainly downloads. In total, 34 different conductor/orchestra combinations, listed alpabetically conductor name first. Symphony numbers in brackets last col. 

1	-	Abbado/BPO	-	(	4, 8	)
2	-	Bersnstein/VPO	-	(	6	)
3	-	Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dreden	-	(	1	)
4	-	Bohm/VPO	-	(	6	)
5	-	Bruggen/O 18th C	-	(	3, 7	)
6	-	Chailly/Gewandhaus	-	(	9	)
7	-	Dorati/Academy of Ancient Music	-	(	5, 6	)
8	-	Fischer/Budapest FO	-	(	4	)
9	-	Fricsay/BPO	-	(	9	)
10	-	Furtwangler/Bayreuth 51	-	(	9	)
11	-	Furtwangler/BPO 1942	-	(	9	)
12	-	Gardiner/ORR	-	(	2, 9	)
13	-	Harnoncourt/Chamber Orch Europe	-	(	4, 5, 8	)
14	-	Harnoncourt/Consentus Musicus Wien	-	(	4	)
15	-	Honeck/Pittsburgh	-	(	7	)
16	-	Karajan (62)/BPO	-	(	1 - 9	)
17	-	Kempe/Munich P O	-	(	1 - 9	)
18	-	Kleiber/VPO	-	(	5, 7	)
19	-	Klemperer/Philharmonia	-	(	3, 8	)
20	-	Krivine/La Chambre Philharmonique	-	(	2, 8	)
21	-	Mackerras/Scottish C O	-	(	1, 7	)
22	-	Monteux/LSO	-	(	2	)
23	-	Norrington/London Classical Players	-	(	8	)
24	-	P Jarvi/German Chamber Phil	-	(	5	)
25	-	Rattle/BPO	-	(	8	)
26	-	Reiner/CSO	-	(	9	)
27	-	Savall/Le Concert de Nations	-	(	3	)
28	-	Sawallisch/RCO	-	(	4	)
29	-	Skrowaczewski/Saarbruken	-	(	2	)
30	-	Solti/CSO	-	(	2, 3	)
31	-	Toscanini/NBC	-	(	1 - 9	)
32	-	Vanska/Minnesota	-	(	7	)
33	-	Walter/Columbia	-	(	1 - 9	)
34	-	Zinman/Zurich Tonhalle	-	(	2, 4, 6	)


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## KenOC

These are the complete cycles I have handy right now. There are likely a couple more in the other room.

Barenboim
Barshai
Bernstein NYPO
Blomstedt
Bruggen 2011
Chailly
Gardiner
Haitink, LSO, 2006
Harnoncourt
Herreweghe
Hogwood
Immerseel
Karajan 1963
Karajan digital
Klemperer
Krips
Leibowitz
Masur
Norrington, Stuttgart
Szell, Original Jacket Coll
Thielemann
Toscanini
Tremblay
Vanska
Vriend
Walter Sony
Wyn Morris, LSO
Zinman
For piano Liszt-Idil Biret
For piano Liszt-Katsaris


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## D Smith

Complete Beethoven sets:

Barenboim Staatskapelle Berlin
Bernstein NYP, Vienna
Blomstedt Staatskapelle Dresden
Bohm Vienna
Cluytens Berlin
Klemperer Philharmonia
Jochum/Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw
Karajan 50s 60s 70s 80s
Masur/Gewandhaus
Harnoncourt: Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
Schuricht: Orchestre De La Société Des Concerts Du Conservatoire
Skrowaczewski: Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Steinberg Pittsburg
Szell Cleveland
Walter Columbia
Wand: NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg

I like them all with the exception of Bernstein Vienna and Blomstedt Dresden, though none are perfect all the way through. Karajan 60s, Barenboim, Jochum Berlin and Wand get the most listens. I'm currently working through Adam Fischer which is interesting.


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## flamencosketches

^You don't like the Blomstedt Dresden? That's one of the ones I was thinking of going for, alongside the Wyn Morris/London Symphony. I only have Karajan/Berlin '63.


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## joen_cph

Blomstedt's is rather mainstream, not a big contrast to Karajan, IMO (relatively speaking). I've got it because it's in a Beethoven box set.


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## Guest

Surely everyone's personal journey has detoured via Cobra...at least for a brief stop off?


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## joen_cph

MacLeod said:


> Surely everyone's personal journey has detoured via Cobra...at least for a brief stop off?


As regards those extremely slow performances, one usually only needs a couple of minutes ...

EDIT: but I found this one, a 7th, that's pretty normal tempowise ...


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## DavidA

MacLeod said:


> Surely everyone's personal journey has detoured via Cobra...at least for a brief stop off?


Why when there are plenty of decent performances which do what Beethoven intended?


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## flamencosketches

joen_cph said:


> Blomstedt's is rather mainstream, not a big contrast to Karajan, IMO (relatively speaking). I've got it because it's in a Beethoven box set.


Who, in your opinion, do you think would provide a more significant contrast with Karajan, then? And please don't tell me Cobra. :lol:


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## Itullian

Klemperer...........


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## DavidA

Itullian said:


> Klemperer...........


That does provide contrast. However, you can get contrast with Chailly or Gardiner or Norrington too.


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## joen_cph

Zinman, Gardiner and Klemperer, for example, among stereo releases.


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## flamencosketches

joen_cph said:


> Zinman, Gardiner and Klemperer, for example, among stereo releases.


Gardiner and Klemperer are both on my list, especially Klemperer as I've enjoyed his interpretations more. But I do think I owe it to myself to hear something a bit more HIP in Beethoven. Though I have a couple of Norrington's Beethoven discs with the London Classical Players, and don't really like them.


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## Bourdon

flamencosketches said:


> Gardiner and Klemperer are both on my list, especially Klemperer as I've enjoyed his interpretations more. But I do think I owe it to myself to hear something a bit more HIP in Beethoven. Though I have a couple of Norrington's Beethoven discs with the London Classical Players, and don't really like them.


Give this one a try.

He recorded them twice.


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## jim prideaux

Anima Eterna and Jos van Immerseel.......a recommendation as an 'alternative'.


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## Johnnie Burgess

joen_cph said:


> As regards those extremely slow performances, one usually only needs a couple of minutes ...
> 
> EDIT: but I found this one, a 7th, that's pretty normal tempowise ...


Minutes try less than 30 seconds to decide Cobra was full of it.


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## flamencosketches

Bourdon said:


> Give this one a try.
> 
> He recorded them twice.


Awesome, I will. I tend to like the Dutch HIP guys more than the English ones. I love Brüggen's Haydn Paris symphonies on Philips with the same group.

Do you prefer the Philips set or the later, live one?


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## CnC Bartok

My sets below. Lots of individual recordings as well, but won't list them

Berlin PO/Claudio Abbado
New York PO/Leonard Bernstein
Vienna PO/Karl Bohm
O 18th century/Frans Bruggen
Leipzig Gewandhaus/Riccardo Chailly
Berlin PO/André Cluytens 
Staatskapelle Dresden/Colin Davis
Eszterhazy Sinfonia/Bela Drahos
Hungarian State O/Janos Ferencsik
Various/Wilhelm Furtwangler
ORR/John Eliot Gardiner
SWR SO/Michael Gielen 
Hannover Band/Roy Goodman
London SO/Bernard Haitink
CO of Europe/Nikolas Harnoncourt
AAM/Christopher Hogwood
Anima Eterna/Jos van Immerseel
Berlin PO/Bavarian RSO/Eugen Jochum
Concertgebouw O/Eugen Jochum
London SO/Eugen Jochum 
Philharmonia O/Herbert Von Karajan (EMI)
Berlin PO/Herbert Von Karajan (DGG 1960s)
Berlin PO/Herbert Von Karajan (DGG 1970s)
Berlin PO/Herbert Von Karajan (DGG 1980s)
Munich PO/Rudolf Kempe
Philharmonia O/Otto Klemperer
Czech PO/Paul Kletzki 
Leipzig Gewandhaus/Franz Konwitschny
London PO/Josef Krips
Chambre Philharmonique/Emmanuel Krivine 
Various/Rafael Kubelik
Liverpool PO/Charles Mackerras
Concertgebouw O/Mengelberg (1940)
Sinf.Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Various/Pierre Monteux
London SO/Wyn Morris
London Classical Players/Roger Norrington
Russian NO/Mikhail Pletnev
Polish CPO/Wojciech Rajski
Vienna PO/Simon Rattle
O de Paris/Carl Schuricht
Saarbrucken PO/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski 
Chicago SO/Georg Solti
Cleveland O/George Szell
NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
New York PO/Bruno Walter
Columbia SO/Bruno Walter
NDR SO/Gunther Wand
Various/Felix Weingartner
Tonhalle Zurich/David Zinman

Adam Fischer on his way, as well as Tafelmusik!

It won't take a genius to work out what the smiley faces indicate... But I was only allowed five of them, alas.


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## Kiki

Joining in the fun... and limited to cycles.


Daniel BarenboimWest-Eastern Divan Orchestra2011DeccaLeonard BernsteinWiener Philharmoniker1977-79 LiveDGFrans BrüggenOrchestra of the Eighteenth Century1984-92PhilipsFrans BrüggenOrchestra of the Eighteenth Century2011 LiveNote I MusicRiccardo ChaillyGewandhausorchester Leipzig2007-11DeccaÁdám Fischer ✿Danish Chamber Orchestra2016-2019NaxosJohn Eliot GardinerOrchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique1991-94 LiveArchivWilhelm FurtwänglerWiener Philharmoniker
Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele1948-54EMIRoy Goodman
Monica HuggettHanover Band1982-88NimbusBernard HaitinkLondon Symphony Orchestra2005-06LSONikolaus HarnoncourtChamber Orchestra of Europe1990,1991TeldecMartin Haselböck (Ongoing cycle) ✿Orchestre Wiener Akademie2014-OngoingAlphaChristopher HogwoodThe Academy of Ancient Music1983-89DeccaJos van ImmerseelAnima Eterna2005-07Zig ZagMariss JansonsSymphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks2007-12 LiveBR KlassikHerbert von KarajanPhilharmonia Orchestra1951-55DGHerbert von KarajanBerliner Philharmoniker1961-62DGHerbert von KarajanBerliner Philharmoniker1975-77DGHerbert von KarajanBerliner Philharmoniker1977 LiveTokyo FMHerbert von KarajanBerliner Philharmoniker1982-84DGOtto KlempererPhilharmonia Orchestra Orchestra1955-59EMIEmmanuel Krivine ✿La Chambre Philharmonique2009-10 LiveNaïveCharles MackerrasScottish Chamber Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra2016 LiveHyperionRoger NorringtonLondon Classical Player1986-87EMISimon RattleBerliner Philharmoniker2015 LiveBP RecordingsSimon RattleWiener Philharmoniker2002 LiveEMIKurt SanderlingPhilharmonia Orchestra1980sEMIHermann ScherchenWiener Staatsoper
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra1951-54AndromedaHermann ScherchenOrchestra della Radio della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano1965 LivePlatzGeorg SoltiChicago Symphony Orchestra1972-1974DeccaArturo ToscaniniNBC Symphony Orchestra1939M&A, IMDChristian ThielemannWiener Philharmoniker2008-10 LiveSonyJan Willem de VriendNetherlands Symphony Orchestra2008-11NorthstarFelix WeingartnerWiener Philharmoniker
London Symphony Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra1927-38EMI


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## Merl

Itullian said:


> How about listing your top 25?


OK, Itullian, but these would be in the top 20 at the moment. There's still a few sets I've nearly completed and maybe one of them will creep into the picture.......so of the sets I have these are the best of the bunch, for me, up to now (no specific order)...... ..

Skrowaczewski
Gielen 2
Norrington (SWR) 
Lan Shui
Adam Fischer
De Vriend
Karajan 62
Szell
Wand
Maag
Blomstedt (Dresden) 
Chailly
Barenboim (Berlin) 
Gardiner
Jordan (DVD) 
Mackerras (RLPO) 
Haitink (LSO live) 
Immerseel
Schuricht
Dohnanyi
Kletzki

I've put a big mix of styles in there (brisk and metronomic, HIP , moderate pace, big band, smaller orchestra, slower, mono, etc) as I like a mix of styles.


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## bharbeke

Who is Cobra? I have not heard that name on TC outside of this discussion.


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## Itullian

bharbeke said:


> Who is Cobra? I have not heard that name on TC outside of this discussion.


Maximilliano Cobretti, conductor
Plays things unbelievably sloooooooooooooooooow.
So slow they are unrecognizable


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## Merl

Here's Cobra sucking every bit of life from the 7th. I didn't think anything could be worse than Celi and Klemperer in the 7th till I heard this. I love how it takes him 6 minutes to get to the big choon in the first movement. Ha ha.


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## Itullian

^^^^^^^^^^^
He's opening our minds Merl. :lol:


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## Merl

Itullian said:


> ^^^^^^^^^^^
> He's opening our minds Merl. :lol:


Some people on here would claim that such pedestrian Beethoven is 'spiritual'. I prefer just to call it *****.


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## flamencosketches

Merl said:


> Some people on here would claim that such pedestrian Beethoven is 'spiritual'. I prefer just to call it *****.


In all honesty, I really don't think this charlatan has any true fans here. Hard to believe he has fans anywhere, but the youtube comments prove otherwise, I guess.


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## Kiki

Apart from his infamous Beethoven 9, His Mozart 40 and Bruckner 9 are also free to listen on his web site (link). Don't you guys think his work is doing us a great service for dissecting these pieces so we can "learn" what's going on in the orchestra? OK, enough said. Don't take my words too seriously. Let's go listen to Celi instead so we can soak in his positive energy!

Seriously, I admire this guy for his relentless quest for the, his, truth.


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## flamencosketches

Kiki said:


> Seriously, I admire this guy for his relentless quest for the, his, truth.


I think he would be a hilarious guy to spend one on one time with in real life. Something like a Tommy Wiseau.


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## DavidA

Just the cycles I have:


Riccardo Chailly	Gewandhausorchester Leipzig	2007-11	Decca

John Eliot Gardiner	Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique	1991-94 Live	Archiv




Nikolaus Harnoncourt	Chamber Orchestra of Europe	1990,1991	Teldec


Herbert von Karajan	Philharmonia Orchestra	1951-55	DG
Herbert von Karajan	Berliner Philharmoniker	1961-62	DG
Herbert von Karajan	Berliner Philharmoniker	1975-77	DG

Herbert von Karajan	Berliner Philharmoniker	1982-84	DG
Otto Klemperer	Philharmonia Orchestra Orchestra	1955-59	EMI
Otto Klemperer Various radio broadcasts 1950s
Charles Mackerras	RLPO
Roger Norrington	London Classical Player	1986-87	EMI


Arturo Toscanini	NBC Symphony Orchestra	1950s


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## joen_cph

There's a Klemperer 7th on of 44:36 on you-tube, versus Cobra's 50:47. 

But nobody comes close to be within reach of Cobra's 9th, of 1:54:13.


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## Johnnie Burgess

Depends does 80 minutes count as close?


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## DavidA

joen_cph said:


> There's a Klemperer 7th on of 44:36 on you-tube, versus Cobra's 50:47.
> 
> But nobody comes close to be within reach of Cobra's 9th, of 1:54:13.


Fior all Klemperer's slowness, however, his sense of rhythm and pulse is superb. I have a magnificently truculent 7th from (I think) 1955 in early stereo with divided strings. He puts this Cobra guy in the shade as a time beater


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## Kiki

flamencosketches said:


> I think he would be a hilarious guy to spend one on one time with in real life. Something like a Tommy Wiseau.


That sounds like a dangerous thing to do (to one's mental health)...


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## Guest

Complete

Barenboim WEDO
John Eliot Gardner ORR (Spotify)
Toscanini NYPO 49-53

Odds

Zinman, Tonhalle, 1 & 2
Rattle, BPO, 1 & 6
Haitink, LSO Live, 3,4 & 8
Runnicles, BBCSSO 3
Kleiber, VPO, 5 & 7
Chailly GWO 5 & 6
Cluytens, BPO 1960, 6 (Vinyl)
HvK BPO, 9 (1977)
Fricsay, BPO, 9
McKerras OAE, 9

I bought the Cluytens first, in about 1978. Then the Haitink, then the Toscanini. The Rattle was the most recent, part of my subscription to the BPO a couple of years ago.

I enjoyed the Barenboim cycle at the Proms, which I recorded off the TV, only to discover that it had been issued (though not the performances at the Proms).

I rarely listen to whole cycles at once, but the Gardner/ORR impressed me the most. The Toscanini was the first I heard complete.


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## realdealblues

I culled a ridiculous amount that I had, most I have now because they are in large box sets I own. 
The ones I still currently have:

Andre Cluytens
Arturo Toscanini (84CD The Complete RCA Toscanini)
Bruno Walter (39CD Bruno Walter Edition)
Carl Schuricht (8CD Icon: Complete EMI Recordings)
Daniel Barenboim (35CD Barenboim: Complete Beethoven)
David Zinman (11CD Zinman Conducts Beethoven)
Ernest Ansermet (31CD Ansermet: The Great European Tradition)
Eugen Jochum (42CD Complete Recordings On DG, _2 Cycles_)
Eugen Jochum (20CD Icon: Complete EMI Recordings)
Georg Solti (108CD Complete Chicago Recordings, _2 Cycles_)
George Szell (106CD Complete Columbia Recordings)
Gunter Wand (20CD The Great Recordings)
Herbert Blomstedt
Herbert Kegel
Herbert Von Karajan (88CD Complete EMI Orchestral Recordings)
Herbert Von Karajan (82CD Complete 1960's DG Recordings)
Herbert Von Karajan (82CD Complete 1970's DG Recordings)
Herbert Von Karajan (78CD Complete 1980's DG Recordings)
Karl Bohm
Leonard Bernstein (60CD Sony: The Symphony Edition)
Leonard Bernstein (59CD DG: Complete Bernstein Vol. 1)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (14CD Harnoncourt: Beethoven)
Otto Klemperer (10CD Beethoven: The Orchestral Collection: Symphonies & Overtures)
Paavo Jarvi
Paul Kletzki
Pierre Monteux (20CD Monteux: Decca Recordings)
Rafael Kubelik (64CD Complete Recordings On DG)
Rene Leibowitz
Riccardo Chailly
Roger Norrington (SWR, Live)
Rudolf Kempe
Wilhelm Furtwangler (EMI)
Wilhelm Furtwangler (107CD The Legacy)
Wolfgang Sawallisch

Some (like Zinman), I only own because I wanted the Piano Concertos and it was cheaper to buy the Box Set than it was to buy the Piano Concertos on their own. I've kind of lost interest of collecting at the moment and haven't bought a classical box set in quite a while. I've also got most of what I truly want to own, although I am still waiting for a complete Eugene Ormandy box set. I'd also welcome a complete Karl Bohm collection. I hope to maybe pickup the new Fischer set one day, and maybe a few others.

As far as favorites, for a complete cycle Wand and Szell are probably my top runners. I love to hear Lenny and Karajan for different reasons. I honestly love the Chailly cycle. I love Bohm's 9th and I will dig out his cycle often just for that one. I love to hear Kletzki and the sound of the Czech Philharmonic. I love to hear Blomstedt and Dresden for their special timbre. Most all of them have special moments such as the often overlooked Sawalisch Symphony 2. Of the ones I still own, the only ones that give me little interest are Zinman and Harnoncourt. Solti's 2nd cycle and Jochum's 1st I could probably go without hearing for many moons. The rest I don't mind digging out whenever I feel the urge.


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## gardibolt

Itullian, you need to get Leibowitz. He's my go-to: modern instruments but HIP tempo, takes almost all the repeats indicated and his interpretations are all first rate. The recording was done by Decca's team for Reader's Digest back in the 1960s so it's excellent sound as well.

Plus he has the virtue of being very cheap in download form:
https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Beethoven-100-Classical-Masterpieces/dp/B00JWNY1QA


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## KenOC

gardibolt said:


> Itullian, you need to get Leibowitz...


Leibowitz does a great cycle. Unfortunately, he's most remembered for calling Sibelius "the worst composer in the world." Well, more accurately, "le plus mauvais compositeur du monde".


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## flamencosketches

KenOC said:


> Leibowitz does a great cycle. Unfortunately, he's most remembered for calling Sibelius "the worst composer in the world." Well, more accurately, "le plus mauvais compositeur du monde".


He also wrote a very interesting, if dense, book on Schoenberg. This is the first I'm hearing that he was also a conductor too.


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## KenOC

flamencosketches said:


> He also wrote a very interesting, if dense, book on Schoenberg. This is the first I'm hearing that he was also a conductor too.


And a very good one too, at least in this case. I totally agree with Gardibolt about his Beethoven cycle.


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## joen_cph

KenOC said:


> Leibowitz does a great cycle. Unfortunately, he's most remembered for calling Sibelius "the worst composer in the world." Well, more accurately, "le plus mauvais compositeur du monde".


And for Boulez saying to him 'vous etes de merde' / 'you are ####'.
I agree, it's a good and interesting cycle.


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## starthrower

A question for Beethoven aficionados concerning the Karajan 1963 cycle. I'm sure this has been answered but I don't know where to find it. Which set sounds better, with good dynamics? The 1990 box, or the remastered 2014 set? The big companies don't always get it right in the former or later department, so what are your opinions if you've listened to both sets? Thanks!


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## Merl

I have the remastered set done for the Beethoven Edition (see below pic) and that was much better than the original CD release, which didn't sound natural at all especially at high volumes. I've not heard further remasters but I've been told (by a self- confessed Karajan nut that I know) that the sound of the stereo layer of the last SACD remaster is a slight improvement over it but the SACD sounds much better and is really impressive. The soundstage on that DG Beethoven Edition box, I have, is damn good IMO and took out some of the original tape hiss, balanced the orchestra better {especially noticeable in the Pastoral} and sounds more natural. There's only so much tinkering they can do. Remasters are always hit or miss. For example I have Hickox's Beethoven cycle on individual discs and it sounds quite good (shame about some of the performances) but when the cycle was boxed it was remastered and it sounds muddy and quite vile. I've copies of Vol. 1 of that Beethoven Edition (containing Beethoven's 63 cycle) going for pennies on Ebay over the past few years. Only last week there was a mint copy going for £2 (£4 with p&p). Stupidly cheap for such a benchmark set.


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## starthrower

I'm a bit more cautious with DG because there tends to be a harsh quality to many of there recordings. The Bohm Beethoven set I bought recently sounds good, but I don't think the Bernstein Mahler sounds all that great. I have the two Mahler lieder discs by Boulez and the one with the No. 10 Adagio sounds harsh in the strings. But the other disc with von Otter sounds great.


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## happyclassicalfeet

You may have many but you only need one: Böhm with VPO.


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## SixFootScowl

I have

Rattle
Vanska
Zinman
Toscanini (later recording)
Monteux VPO/LSO cyckle and 234569 Boston
Schuricht
Bernstein NYPO
Wand
Lebowitz
Ferencsik
Gardiner

Sets I offloaded: Szell, Klemperer, Walter


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## jegreenwood

Interesting article in The NY Times today - Herbert Blomstedt discussing the opening bars of Beethoven’s 5th.


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