# #15 - Thielemann conducts VPO - Beethoven - Symphony No. 3



## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

_Check my earlier post for recommendations
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A recording by the young Thielemann [Well, compared to Karajan who was 75 at the time of his last Eroica.] with his Wiener Philharmoniker. The cycle was recorded between 2008 and 2010 in a series of live concerts. They were released on DVD, Blu-Ray and CD.

I won't lie about how uninteresting I found the ordeal to watch Thielemann [much like Boulez] but I won't doubt that he is a conductor with respectable skill. And this cycle proves just that. From the same cycle, I've heard his Beethoven 9 and among the new millennial symphony cycles, this one ranks among the finest - Abbado's remains the finest. Never meandering or losing the focus. Punchy and passionate.

The opening works well. Although the speeds aren't quite what you expect from today's cycle. Prodigious usage of legato -- they're varying throughout the movement; Thielemann slows down to add drama and quickens to ignite passion - somewhat successfully -- they certainly hold together. When required the timpani strike - and hard. A bit harder than what I accustomed to but this new style won't have me complaining. Much more intense too. But it feels a bit out of place at times. Like pseudo-intensity. For intensity, watch this performance.

The overall texture of the playing is thick. The only caveat I have of the first movement is the strings sometime sound out-of-tune or, wrong. Its difficult to explain it but if one hears it, one might understand it. The playing is Heroic - from start to finish. Unlike some hybrid cycles or the horrid Zinman cycle which are played so fast, they lose the sense of the work and become formless pieces of blob and ultimately, antithetical to any definition of "heroic" or Grand. But that style of Beethoven is valid and works for many people. Abbado's Eroica [Live/BPO/DG] for example doesn't have the thick textured playing, isn't as heavily orchestrated as this performance and the tempi are much quicker but it works! It manages to sound Heroic but not the Grand Heroic rather this new age Heroic. Does that make sense? More in my head than in words but what I write would be much easier to understand from the performance itself:

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The second movement is very fulfilling. I got goosebumps at one point. The intensive playing, legato and timpani emphasis make it truly joyous to hear. The rest of the symphony's performance follows suits. Thielemann's use of varying tempo results in different degrees of success. Never dull and always energetic. One wishes at that certain points Thielemann's wasn't quite was heavy-handed [Hopefully not trying to imitate the inimitable Herr Furtwangler].
Overall, satisfying.

Thielemann's performance reminds one of Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin recording - a performance in many ways, a superior performance.

In all honesty, when I first started this record I was expecting a lukewarm, standard run but was instead pleasantly surprised. In this day and age of HIPster, we still have some who continue the grand old Romantic full-bodied tradition. But overall, this Beethoven Symphony No. 3 is much better than a lot of the recent recordings - Paavo Jarvi, David Zinman, Simon Rattle, etc. As the review might've suggested, I enjoyed both the performance and look forward to hearing to both the rest of the cycle and Thielemann.

Closing Remark: Would I be happy to have this as my only record and recommend this to all? No. There are better. Among whom Karajan's 1983/Wand's NDR/Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin and Abbado's BPO live rank as the very best in my book. Still should you buy it if for nothing else than the glorious high fidelity sound? Yes.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

Very nice, thank you, Lord Lance. I have the Blu-ray of Thielemann's LvB #7, #8, and #9. Solid presentation, nice documentary special feature, and great playing overall, even if I don't agree with every interpretative choice Thielemann makes.


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

DiesIraeVIX;bt3371 said:


> Very nice, thank you, Lord Lance. I have the Blu-ray of Thielemann's LvB #7, #8, and #9. Solid presentation, nice documentary special feature, and great playing overall, even if I don't agree with every interpretative choice Thielemann makes.


 I was known by the name of Ludwig van Beethoven - in case you've forgotten me.... Thielemann knows his Beethoven, yes. His erratic tempo choices and certain instrumental emphasis may be disagreeable to many... including yours truly. Thanks for commenting.


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