Search - Beethoven, Abbado, Vpo :: Symphonies 5 & 7

The fact that excerpts began appearing at lower prices soon after initial release is, perhaps, indicative of the lack of success met by Claudio Abbado's Beethoven cycle. Usually there's no relationship at all between quality of performance and price in the classical music world, but when the "knock down" happens really fast, you know something's up. Abbado's Beethoven wasn't all that bad, actually, just inconsistent. Here's a case in point: the Seventh is really excellent, while the Fifth is a bit of a disappointment. So, if you want to sample Abbado's strengths and weaknesses in this music, here's your chance. --David Hurwitz