Tír Na HiFi

I have to confess I have a fetish for this symphony, and I just can´t help keep adding new recordings.

1. BPO/Wilhelm Furtwängler DG.
2. Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Claudio Abbado DG.
3. Gewandhausorchester/Kurt Masur PHILIPS.
4. BPO/Herbert von Karajan EMI.
5. BPO/Karl Böhm DG.
6. Staatskapelle Dresden/Karl Böhm DG.
7. Staatskapelle Dresden/Giuseppe Sinopoli DG.
8. Concertgebouw/Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
9. Staatskapelle Dresden/Herbert Blomstedt Berlin Classics.
10. Budapest Festival Orchestra/Ivan Fischer Channel Classics.
11. BPO/Wilhelm Furtwängler live 1942 DG.
12. VPO/Georg Solti DECCA.
13. VPO/John Eliot Gardiner DG.
14. Concertgebouw/John Eliot Gardiner RCO LIVE.
15. Concertgebouw/Willem Mengelberg 1940 PHILIPS.
16. Boston Symphony/Charles Munch RCA.
17. Cleveland Orchestra/George Szell CBS.
18. Cleveland Orchestra/George Szell EMI.
19. Philadelphia Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini RCA.
20. ASMF/Neville Marriner PHILIPS.
21. Columbia Symphony/Bruno Walter CBS.
22. LPO/Adrian Boult EMI.
23. North German RSO/Günter Wand RCA.
24. BPO/Günter Wand RCA.
25. Tafelmusik/ Bruno Weil SONY.
26. OAE/Charles Mackerras Virgin.
27. Orchestra of the XVIII Century/Frans Brüggen.
28. Les Musiciens du Louvre/Marc Minkowski.
29. LSO/Josef Krips DECCA.
30. Concertgebouw/Leonard Bernstein DG.
31. BRSO/Carlo Maria Giulini SONY.
32. VPO/Riccardo Muti EMI.
33. Munich Philharmonic/Günter Wand LIVE PROFIL.
34. Munich Philharmonic/Sergiu Celibidache EMI.
35. Chicago Symphony/Carlo Maria Giulini DG.
36. BPO/Klaus Tennstedt Testament.

Holy moly Pepe, what a lovely collection. Here is my modest offering:

1. Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra / Wilhelm Mengelberg on XXCM Century Maestros
2. New York Philharmonic Orchestra / Leonard Bernstein on Sony
3. Philharmonia Hungarica / Peter Maag on Vox Records
4. Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Claudio Abbado on DG
5. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Nikolaus Harnoncourt on Warner
6. Orchestra of the 18th Century / Frans Bruggen on Philips
7. Wiener Philharmoniker/ Georg Solti on Decca
8. Cleveland Orchestra / George Szell on Sony
9. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Karl Böhm on DG
10. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Und Freiburg on Hänssler

The first time I listened to Schubert's Ninth was a radio broadcast by Ireland's marvellous National Symphony Orchestra and I was stunned by it, I loved it and logged on to CMG and asked for recommendations, Szell's recording was the top nomination. I went looking for it, couldn't get it and bought the Solti instead: I was hooked, it is wonderful music and in the right hands is a truly wonderful listening experience.

My favourites are the Solti, Böhm, Abbado and Szell. The Harnoncourt and Bruggen are deeply disappointing and the remainder are definitely worth getting. I want to get the Karl Böhm / Staatskapelle Dresden recording.

37. Anima Eterna/Jos van Immerseel.

I forgot that one.

Jose Echenique wrote:37. Anima Eterna/Jos van Immerseel.

I forgot that one.

I prefer the BIG BAND approach.

All the recordings have something special to offer. Szell, especially in his first recordings is magisterial, Wand in all three recordings is songful, full of insights. Bohm in Dresden is Bert special, glorious playing. Abbado is just lovely, very musical and satisfying. We should never forget Adrián Boult with a vintage LPO, his is also one of the best. Period recordings have illuminated the symphony in endless ways, most notably Mackerras early effort and the more assured Immerseel and Minkowski versions. But it is, no wonder Furtwangler with his súper human intellect who goes deeper into the spirit of Schubert' s music. His is not only the greatest recording this symphony has ever had, but one of the greatest recordings of the century.

Just to add my own list of Schubert 9s....


1. Abbado / Chamber Orchestra of Europe [DG]
2. Bruggen / Orchestra of the 18th Century [Philips]
3. Davis / Staatskapelle Dresden [RCA]
4. Goodman / Hanover Band [Nimbus]
5. Keitel / Putbus Festival Orchestra [Arte Nova]
6. Kertész / Vienna Philharmonic Orch. [Decca]
7. von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orch. [DG]
8. Klemperer / Philharmonia Orchestra [Columbia]
9. Krips / Concertgebouw Orch. [Decca]
10. Krips / London Symphony Orch. [Decca]
11. Munch / Boston Symphony Orch. RCA]
12. Norrington / London Classical Players [HMV]
13. Pritchard / London Philharmonic Orch. [CfP]
14. Sinopoli / Staatskapelle Dresden [DG]
15. Solti / Vienna Philharmonic Orch. [Decca]
16. Wand / Berlin Philharmonic Orch. [RCA]
17. Wand / Cologne Radio Symphony Orch. [EMI]



Apart from the obvious excellent performances in this list I like the Davis (entire cycle), the Norrington (I know that I am probably in a minority of one here but I like his Schubert) and I was also impressed with the Pritchard version.

Good gracious, you people aren't messing around!

Diapason wrote:Good gracious, you people aren't messing around!

Hard core OCD LOL!!!

fergus wrote:Just to add my own list of Schubert 9s....


1. Abbado / Chamber Orchestra of Europe [DG]
2. Bruggen / Orchestra of the 18th Century [Philips]
3. Davis / Staatskapelle Dresden [RCA]
4. Goodman / Hanover Band [Nimbus]
5. Keitel / Putbus Festival Orchestra [Arte Nova]
6. Kertész / Vienna Philharmonic Orch. [Decca]
7. von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orch. [DG]
8. Klemperer / Philharmonia Orchestra [Columbia]
9. Krips / Concertgebouw Orch. [Decca]
10. Krips / London Symphony Orch. [Decca]
11. Munch / Boston Symphony Orch. RCA]
12. Norrington / London Classical Players [HMV]
13. Pritchard / London Philharmonic Orch. [CfP]
14. Sinopoli / Staatskapelle Dresden [DG]
15. Solti / Vienna Philharmonic Orch. [Decca]
16. Wand / Berlin Philharmonic Orch. [RCA]
17. Wand / Cologne Radio Symphony Orch. [EMI]



Apart from the obvious excellent performances in this list I like the Davis (entire cycle), the Norrington (I know that I am probably in a minority of one here but I like his Schubert) and I was also impressed with the Pritchard version.

Oh I also have the Colin Davis cycle, which I forgot.

But for a recording with the marvelous Staatskapelle Dresden I would prefer the live 1971 Karl Böhm version, their playing in the Communist days was even more characterful, the same was true with the Gewandhausorchester, maybe it was the East-West competition.