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Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 8:48 pm
by Seán
Building a Library

Rob Cowan compares recordings of Beethoven's 4th Symphony and makes a personal recommendation.

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 10:23 am
by Seán
The SSRattle with the VPO might make a good but expensive beer mat.
The Walter and CO sound great
The Kubelik and BRSO merit a place in my basket.
The Szell and Cleveland Orchestra sounds fabulous, definitely one to explore further
The second Brüggen with the 18 Century Orchestra sounds great but as Rob said the sound is 'cloudy'.

Very enjoyable programme.


No CD Review next week.

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:40 am
by fergus
Seán wrote:The SSRattle with the VPO might make a good but expensive beer mat.
The Walter and CO sound great
The Kubelik and BRSO merit a place in my basket.
The Szell and Cleveland Orchestra sounds fabulous, definitely one to explore further
The second Brüggen with the 18 Century Orchestra sounds great but as Rob said the sound is 'cloudy'.

Very enjoyable programme.


No CD Review next week.

I think that it is one of the best performances that I have heard Seán. In fact I think that the Bruggen 2 cycle is better overall than Bruggen 1.

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:53 am
by Seán
fergus wrote:
Seán wrote:The SSRattle with the VPO might make a good but expensive beer mat.
The Walter and CO sound great
The Kubelik and BRSO merit a place in my basket.
The Szell and Cleveland Orchestra sounds fabulous, definitely one to explore further
The second Brüggen with the 18 Century Orchestra sounds great but as Rob said the sound is 'cloudy'.

Very enjoyable programme.


No CD Review next week.

I think that it is one of the best performances that I have heard Seán. In fact I think that the Bruggen 2 cycle is better overall than Bruggen 1.
But it wasn't the number one recommendation......

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:43 am
by fergus
Seán wrote:
But it wasn't the number one recommendation......
Just somebody else's opinion Seán, valid maybe, but one's own is equally valid to oneself. Because all Art is totally subjective and I stopped listening to that show and others like it because I did not need someone else determining my preferences . As we have always said around here "Trust Your Own Ears".

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 7:17 pm
by Seán
fergus wrote:
Seán wrote:
But it wasn't the number one recommendation......
Just somebody else's opinion Seán, valid maybe, but one's own is equally valid to oneself. Because all Art is totally subjective and I stopped listening to that show and others like it because I did not need someone else determining my preferences . As we have always said around here "Trust Your Own Ears".
I do enjoy listening to BAL and hearing the rationale behind the first preference. That said I am rarely swayed by it. I do have Zinman's recording with the Tonhalle and it's not my favourite performance of the Fourth Symphony.

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:24 pm
by james
I'm still not sure what was the final recommendation ?
Zimman ?

[No mention of Karajan -- is he still really that out of fashion ?]

James

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:41 pm
by Seán
james wrote:I'm still not sure what was the final recommendation ?
Zimman ?
Yep, the Zinman and Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra recording was the first choice recommendation by Rob.
[No mention of Karajan -- is he still really that out of fashion ?]

James
The 1962 recording with the BPO did get a mention and a little airtime too. There are so many recordings of Beethoven's Fourth to choose from that Cowen by his own admission could only mention a small number of them by name and not include them in his final selection, for example, the last Abbado & BPO and the Vanska & MO recordings. I would place the Zinman/ZTO behind both of them, but that's me. All in all it's an interesting exercise. =D

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 2:36 pm
by james
Thanks -- I actually bought the Zinman when it came out. The selling point was a new edition of the symphonies. I remember when I heard it I did not really notice the changes [they were listed in the booklet and were fairly minor]. I must listen to it again.

In one sence Karajan was the pinnacle of an era in that he had more or less infinite rehearsal time and infinite studio time to produce a 'perfect'/'flawless' recording. Personally I don't like live recordings because eventually I start to anticipate the coughts once I know the recording. In Karajan's day there was real money in classical muisc and, I believe, Karajan had his own privete plane.

Re: Building a Library - Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:22 pm
by fergus
Seán wrote: I do enjoy listening to BAL and hearing the rationale behind the first preference. That said I am rarely swayed by it. I do have Zinman's recording with the Tonhalle and it's not my favourite performance of the Fourth Symphony.
Cheers Seán. What is your favourite recording in your collection?