# Favorite recordings of Beethoven’s 8th symphony?



## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

I haven’t listened to many 8th’s, but I like karajan’s 63 recording, because for me he chooses just the right tempi, except in the 3rd movement, that’s why I’m curious to hear all your recommendations. Fire away!


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

EvaBaron said:


> I haven't listened to many 8th's, but I like karajan's 63 recording, because for me he chooses just the right tempi, except in the 3rd movement, that's why I'm curious to hear all your recommendations. Fire away!


The rendition of 1955 is also great and all tempi are perfect in my opinion, so you may want to *check it*. These two Karajan recordings plus the *Abbado/Vienna Philharmonic* are my benchmarks for this great symphony!

P.S.: I agree with you about the tempi in Karajan's 63 recording. I love that performance overall though, so my personal solution was to transfer the music to my PC and speed up the Scherzo a bit using Audacity.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Link to reviews of some of the best recordings:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/mwork_index/beethoven_sy8.htm


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## Nipper (Jun 5, 2020)

A few of my favorites:

Kletzki/CPO
Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dresden
Szell/Cleveland

Also:

Haitink/LSO is a good 21st century recording. 
Wand/NDRSO
Walter/ColSO

I’m listening now to my newly acquired Järvi/Bremen, another well done recording from this century. 

If you want a wild ride, try Chailly. The playing of the Gewandhaus is spectacular, but the tempo in the fourth movement teeters from urgency into panic. Probably just a bit much to be a favorite for me. 

For HvK, I actually like his 1984 recording best, though all are good.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Furtwängler/BPO 1953
Van Kempen/BPO
Karajan/BPO 1962
Böhm/VPO
Barbirolli/Hallé


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

EvaBaron said:


> I haven't listened to many 8th's, but I like karajan's 63 recording, because for me he chooses just the right tempi, except in the 3rd movement, that's why I'm curious to hear all your recommendations. Fire away!


I like the Karajan also very much, I presume you mean the DG one, further I can recommend Bernstein ( Sony) Haitink with the Royal Concert Gebouw orchestra and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt ond Decca.
Enjoy exploring.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Riccardo Chailly and Leipzig Gewandhausorchester give the 8th a frenetic brio that I think suits it very well. Great sound, too.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Markevitch*
Chailly
De Vriend
Scherchen
Gardiner
Nelson / Paris
Fischer / Danish
Karajan 63
Jordan / Paris
Haitink / LSO
Vanska
Gielen 2
Mackerras (both) 
Blomstedt / Dresden 
Norrington / SWR
Krivine

*_my personal favourite_


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## Nipper (Jun 5, 2020)

Merl said:


> Markevitch*
> Chailly
> De Vriend
> Scherchen
> ...


I finally got to listen to the Markevitch 8 today. It's superb!


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Scherchen, Leibowitz, Markevitch.

I have not yet heard Chailly; Paavo Järvi is very fast but I find it a bit inflexible and slick. If one takes the first movement so fast, I think one needs to relax a bit for the second theme etc.


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## Superflumina (Jun 19, 2020)

Gardiner......................


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Schmidt-Isserstedt / VPO -- the menuetto has a motion that absolutely captivates.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Merl said:


> Markevitch*


I just put this on and I almost flew out of my chair at the explosive attack of the first phrase. Yes, this is how Beethoven should be played! It's not often nowadays that any performance can make me hear a Beethoven symphony with fresh ears. No polite, smooth, unoffending pleasantries here-this is a performance that conveys the dangerous, revolutionary, heaven-storming nature of Beethoven's music. Thanks so much for this rec.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I have not heard Markevitch's recording of Beethoven's 1st but of the rest I found the disc with 5+8 by far the best, compared to 3,6,9 (which are all good but not as distinctive).


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## vincula (Jun 23, 2020)

Kreisler jr said:


> I have not heard Markevitch's recording of Beethoven's 1st but of the rest I found the disc with 5+8 by far the best, compared to 3,6,9 (which are all good but not as distinctive).


There's one live recording of the no.8 with the Orchestre national de la RTF and Igor Markevitch recorded by Radio France on 06/01/1955. The album's to be found under the INA label, but it's also available on Spotify. Very intense. Worth a listen if you don't know it.









Regards,

Vincula


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## ansfelden (Jan 11, 2022)

Böhm, the Jochums, Masur!

need relistening to Bolton, Skrova and Wand.


edit: sorry, i was misreading "Bruckner´s 8th"... 

i can´t mention a proper fav Beethoven 8. i like Abbado and Chailly.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

A bit of a sneaky choice, but one well worth hearing - Cyprien Katsaris' recording of the Liszt piano arrangement, with additions by Katsaris himself. Here's his brilliantly articulated rendition of the 4th movement:


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Mackerras/Royal Liverpool (the entire cycle is marvelous)


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

After reading some of the posts here I decided to spend some time sampling a few recordings, so herewith some preliminary thoughts...

- Markevitch/Lamoureux - I was impressed by the comments and quite struck by it as I started listening ... but it quickly ruled itself out due to a very unfortunate technical defect ... lots of tape post-echo which continually distracts from an otherwise interesting performance.
- Jansons/BRSO - About a year ago I listened to a few of Jansons' Tokyo set and was generally impressed ... but found that it didn't wear well on repeat hearings. Beautifully played, etc., etc., but seems a bit soulless. Listening again today didn't change my opinion.
- Blomstedt/Leipzig - Definitely one of the fastest. At first I thought it too fast but I (mostly) got used to it. What I do like is the use of antiphonal violins although they aren't as noticeable as the Klemperer but they do enhance ability to follow the threads.
- Klemperer/Philharmonia - What can I say? It is somewhat slower than most (not consistently so), but that sense disappears quickly and I find myself really enjoying the orchestral interplay that is often missed.

Sometime in the next few days I will continue with a few others.

P.S. I had listened to the Chailly set some time ago but felt that it was too 'in your face'.
P.P.S. Don't sample the Klemperer & Blomstedt next to each other


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## vincula (Jun 23, 2020)

I'd like to add a favourite of mine of one conductor who goes under the radar when talking about great "classic" Beethoven rendition from a bygone era: *Pierre Monteux*. His renditions of no.8 are consistently good and always exciting. The balance of the orchestra and the ability to let us hear all the inner voices is pure genius. His recording with the Wiener Phiharmoniker's better-known and easy to find on Spotify. The remastered version by Decca/Eloquence is worth every penny. Give it a go.

Here an utterly delightful live rendition with the CSO in mono. Enjoy!






Regards,

Vincula


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I've had a few, initially BRT/Rahbari and VPO/Abbado, which where both pretty good.

I had a separate disc of LSO/Morris playing Eroica, so when I saw the alto reissue of that and No. 8, I got it. On the back of that disc is a quote from a critic who said Wyn Morris was the "Celtic Furtwangler." I don't know what that means, but to my ears the performances pack a punch.

Here is the same recording, but with a different coupling to the one I have:


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## ansfelden (Jan 11, 2022)

listened to Chailly/Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, this one - like the whole cycle - a recommendation.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Nipper said:


> A few of my favorites:
> 
> Kletzki/CPO
> Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dresden
> ...


+2 to Szell, not so sure about that Karajan


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> A bit of a sneaky choice, but one well worth hearing - Cyprien Katsaris' recording of the Liszt piano arrangement, with additions by Katsaris himself. Here's his brilliantly articulated rendition of the 4th movement:


>..and this is my favourite as well. With the piano reduction you can actually hear what Beethoven was trying to achieve. The inner voices come out and that's something which I have not heard on any orchestral recording. The closest to that I've come across is a Toscanini recording. That said, this thread has been useful in that I might try out the Markevitch to see what he can accomplish.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Karajan on DG from the 60ties. Bernstein one DG, try see the DVD, and his Sony recording, another good one Haitink with the RCO.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Scherchen and Mengelberg are some of the more interesting ones.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

After a few months I still haven’t found a performance I like more than Karajan’s ‘63 account. I listened to Wand’s today and it was very good but I thought the last movement was a bit too mannered. That being said I still need to listen to a lot more to really be sure of course. Chailly, wand, bernstein, markevitch, Karajan ‘77, Abbado, Furtwangler i listened to already and a few more. I might just pick a random one of Merl’s extensive list and just see how it plays out. If the last movement isn’t very fast I immediately like it less. That’s what I love about Karajan’s interpretations, he is surprisingly fast


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

EvaBaron said:


> After a few months I still haven’t found a performance I like more than Karajan’s ‘63 account. I listened to Wand’s today and it was very good but I thought the last movement was a bit too mannered. That being said I still need to listen to a lot more to really be sure of course. Chailly, wand, bernstein, markevitch, Karajan ‘77, Abbado, Furtwangler i listened to already and a few more. I might just pick a random one of Merl’s extensive list and just see how it plays out. If the last movement isn’t very fast I immediately like it less. That’s what I love about Karajan’s interpretations, he is surprisingly fast


Did you listen to Karajan's ‘55 yet? The tempi and phrasing are close to the ideal in this performance, to my ears at least.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Xisten267 said:


> Did you listen to Karajan's ‘55 yet? The tempi and phrasing are close to the ideal in this performance, to my ears at least.


I will now


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

joen_cph said:


> Scherchen and Mengelberg are some of the more interesting ones.


I love the Scherchen recording:


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Another great one is Casals':


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