Search - Donaldson Bell, Ludwig van Beethoven, George Szell :: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Unlike the other discs in this series, this one contains a single work of music, complete. Szell's classic performance has remained in the catalogs almost continuously since it was recorded in 1961, for good reasons. While the conductor doesn't quite capture the mystery of the music as well as Wilhelm Furtwängler (who does?), his is a powerful performance with lots of vigor, forward thrust, and, in the slow movement, a generous amount of poetry. The chorus, trained by Robert Shaw, is splendid and seems to sing almost effortlessly. The spotlighting of the soloists in the recording is some detriment, but the performance survives. A thoroughly worthwhile reissue, but you can get the same recording, with the Fidelio Overture as a bonus, on a much cheaper CD (Sony number 46533). --Leslie Gerber