# Best Single Disc Mixed Works Beethoven Disc



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

You often see these cheezy CDs titled such as, "Beethoven's Greatest Hits" or "The Best of Beethoven." To add insult to injury, not only do they put bits and pieces of a hodge podge variety of Beethoven's more popular works, but also they often include the infamous Fur Elise! 

My question. Are there any such discs that are actually worth owning?

I think I have found one, and perhaps the only one that is worth owning:









Tracks include: 
1. Symphonie No.5: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Romance Cantabile
3. 'Tarpeja': Triumph March
4. 'Leonore': Prisoners' Chorus
5. Sonata 'Pathétique,' Op.13: 2. Adagio cantabile
6. 7 Ländler
7. Frühlings-Sonate, Op.24: 2. Adagio molto espressivo
8. Cello-Sonata A-Dur, Op.69: 2. Scherzo. Allegro molto
9. Piano Trio In E Flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2: 3. Allegretto ma non troppo
10. Serenade Op.8: 2. Menuetto. Allegretto
11. String Quartet After The Piano Sonata: 3. Rondo. Allegro
12. Quartetto Serioso, Op.95: 4. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
13. Streichquartett, Op.135: 2. Vivace
14. Septett, Op.20: 3. Tempo di Menuetto
15. 'Yorck' March
16. Zärliche Liebe
17. Music, Love And Wine
18. Chor Auf Die Verbündeten Fürsten
19. Der Glorreiche Augenblick

Sound Clips

It is beautifully packaged (not a jewel case) with a built in 88 page colorful book with brief (1 paragraph) discussion in three languages (looks like German, English, and French) of each track, including date of recording, vocalists, and soloists. It also includes short discussions of various aspects of Beethoven's life, a picture and listing of each volume in the 87-CD set that this is a sampler of, and pictures of some of the conductors, soloists and singers. Pretty nice for a penny on Amazon.

Can anyone top that for a one-disc mixed work Beethoven CD?

EDIT: let me add that single discs with an entire work such as a symphony and a couple overtures do not count as one-disc mixed work CDs for purposes of this thread.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

Hey there, buddy, hold up just one second! _Für Elise_ is a wonderful little bagatelle. Not to mention, along with the first two lines of Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, it's the only thing I know how to play (badly!) on the piano. 

As for the OP, I don't know of any worthwhile mixed-works type of sets. I mostly see those cheesy "Beethoven for Dreaming" or some such nonsense at Barnes and Noble. I guess I could see them being useful for someone interested in getting into classical "from scratch" and getting a sample before you buy the entire meal. But then again, isn't that what YouTube and Spotify are for?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I know I was hard on Fur Elise and it is not Beethoven's fault, but the fault of Hollywood who ruined it by associating it with some aspect of a movie. I can't remember what movie but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth because of that association.

The disc I posted is a teaser to buy the whole set of 87 discs. Ha, I got the Brilliant Classics 87 CD Beethoven set for $29.98, but the DG set is much, much better. I actually have the volume on Fidelio which has both Bernstein's Fidelio and a Leonora production. Each box has it's own very nice book too. 

Ok I may try to find another mixed work CD that is of some value. One more excuse for me to surf Amazon, which often leads to my buying another CD set. Hopeless addiction, but a happy addiction at least, with no adverse health effects, in fact positive health effects.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Well, Florestan, it could be argued that this particular disc's less conventional/more imaginative (perm any one from two) tracklisting is by virtue of the fact that it had to be a representative cross-section from as many volumes as possible that made up the DG Complete Edition. I know that time constraints come into play when we are only talking c. 80 minutes disc space to accommodate a composer that wrote c. four days' worth of music so your example is probably as varied as it's ever likely to get, even if there's hardly a complete work on it.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2014)

That DG full set is wonderful! My dad actually bought it on LP back in the day - I remember each box, with the same picture of Beethoven, but in different colors. My older brother made off with most of them some years back, when he had a turntable, and I didn't. I'm kicking myself for not claiming it. I think he left the one with the piano trios, and I keep meaning to have my mom send it to me, now that I have a turntable.

I used to buy those samplers, back when I was younger, didn't know a great performance from a crappy one, and only wanted things like the first movement of the 5th symphony. I can't remember anything that stood out. Incidentally, I love Fur Elise. Familiarity breeds contempt, but honestly, it opens the door for a lot of people. My young son recognizes it as Beethoven, and likes to listen to it when he hears it. If it does nothing more than interest young people in classical music, then it is more valuable than >90% of the classical music out there.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2014)

Another reason you are not likely to find a better sampler than that Complete Edition one is that, unlike so many other samplers that usually feature less than stellar performances, the complete edition features top notch performers. These aren't duds. As I recall, Wilhelm Kempff features prominently in many of the piano pieces!

I don't know if there is one, but I bought a top 100 arias album through iTunes for a fairly cheap price - it was released by EMI, and has some very good performances. Perhaps there is something similar for Beethoven.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

DrMike said:


> I don't know if there is one, but I bought a top 100 arias album through iTunes for a fairly cheap price - it was released by EMI, and has some very good performances. Perhaps there is something similar for Beethoven.


There is this one with 100 tracks of Beethoven including the entire symphony cycle conducted by Rene Lebiowitz for a whopping $1.09 digital download from Amazon. It also has the 5 piano concertos, some piano sonatas, and Egmont. (Thanks to KenOC for alerting me to this GREAT deal.)


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2014)

I did find something on Amazon - it is called Best Beethoven 100. It comes on 6 discs, currently selling for $21.32. Each disc focuses on a different genre. For example, disc 1 covers the symphonies and overtures. Obviously you don't get them all - selected movements from each, not all the overtures. I couldn't get an exact track listing, or who performs what, but there are some big names on there, including Karajan. It is put out by EMI.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Florestan said:


> There is this one with 100 tracks of Beethoven including the entire symphony cycle conducted by Rene Lebiowitz for a whopping $1.09 digital download from Amazon. It also has the 5 piano concertos, some piano sonatas, and Egmont. (Thanks to KenOC for alerting me to this GREAT deal.)


Just to mention that this cheapie download weighs in at 14 1/2 hours of music. No bit and pieces -- even the Egmont is the complete incidental music, not just the overture. Performances, even where I've never heard of the performers, are very good. There is a complete contents listing in my review, the second on the page.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

KenOC, I appreciate you gave more detail on the great Amazon download. People should be jumping on that one, a whole symphony cycle and tons more for a buck nine! If people don't jump on it for the symphonies, surely they need it for Egmont which is a wonderful work with two tracks with a soprano soloist.



DrMike said:


> I did find something on Amazon - it is called Best Beethoven 100. It comes on 6 discs, currently selling for $21.32. Each disc focuses on a different genre. For example, disc 1 covers the symphonies and overtures. Obviously you don't get them all - selected movements from each, not all the overtures. I couldn't get an exact track listing, or who performs what, but there are some big names on there, including Karajan. It is put out by EMI.


I found it and there is a used copy for $15. First disc has one track from each symphony and and two for the Ninth so they could include the Turkish March. A very nice set for someone who is okay with not hearing whole works.

Wait a minute: here it is for only $4 used. Maybe not the same set, but 6 discs. Reviewers complain that one disc is a repeat of another, and that some pieces are chopped off. A curiosity anyway. Maybe the other set is better.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

If we allow for more than one disc then there is a decent best of set from Naxos of 2 CDs that includes a track from Missa Solemnis among other good tracks.

And here is a decent RCA single disc set  (atrocious cover design though) with top name artists and conductors that is heavy on symphony but also has a piece from Ruins of Athens and the conclusion of the Choral Fantasy.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Here is a nice one that comes in a small 24-page hardcover book:


















Includes Symphony 5, 1st movement, Egmont overture, parts of several piano concertos and sonatas, Symphony 6 5th movement, Fidelio prisoner's chorus, violin concerto 3rd movement, and an excerpt from Symphony 9, 4th movement.


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