Search - Vienna State Opera Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 6

What in God's name is the fuss?

Wayne A. | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 01/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm glad I have an ear that hears the general overall form and outline of a piece and then the details immediately underneath instead of the other way around. Sure, the Vienna band has a little trouble keeping up once in a while, it's not the Concertgebouw, Chicago, or the Berlin. On the other hand, they play with panache and it sounds like they're sort of having fun, in very a slightly inebriated way--real people playing instruments instead of a Mercedes engine purring, which can get on my nerves now and then. For all the almost-missed-its there are plenty of exciting dead-ons--take the opening of the last movement. I'm amazed at what they do right on this recording. Tempos are fast but not out of line with plenty of other Thirds I've heard, especially modern period instrument ones. I can't imagine why some reviewers are harping on this! This is a swift and light Third and quite a fun experience; remarkable for its era. On the other plus side, the sound is great, with a clarity that accentuates the Mercurial performance. Also, the first movement is magnificent--really captures the radicalism and excitement of this landmark structure, makes the length feel inevitable--the hallmark of a great Third.



The Sixth is equally fine in its unique way and folksy as heck. Fast also, apparently paying attention to Beethoven's metronome markings again. What matters is what Scherchen does bar-to-bar within that speed and its far more engaging than what I hear in conventionally paced recordings. Scherchen knows how to make the music bounce; this is a Sixth that feels like it actually fits between 5 and 7 instead of being some odd bird. I've always believed that performances of the Nine Symphonies should come across like they were all written by a single guy named Beethoven, instead of a Beethoven-of-the-month.



I guess, being polite sort of, its a matter of taste. On the other hand, to be truthful, I sense in the criticisms that sort of hyper-focus and nit-picking fussiness, combined with too much attention to surface excitement, that's making just about everything in this world a total headache these days. Honestly, I'm very glad I was able to get hold of a copy of this before it disappears forever."

Eroica Vivacissima

Thomas F. Bertonneau | Oswego, NY United States | 08/08/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is possible to read contradictory assessments of Hermann Scherchen's 1958 stereo account, for Westminster, of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. (It's not only possible, but usual, to encounter contradictory assessments of Scherchen!) A number of commentators say that it is a mess: that Scherchen's decision to apply extremely rapid tempi leaves the conductor waving about madly while the orchestra, trying to catch up, falls into disarray. Others admit that Scherchen's idea is "mad" (to cite one of them) but add that, despite some scrappy ensemble in the Scherzo and the Finale, the concept is valid and the reading truly exciting. René Tremine sums up in the introduction to his annotated Scherchen discography: "The stereo remake of the Eroica is one of Scherchen's most curious interpretations. His wish to respect Beethoven's tempi to the letter produced a very quick performance (like René Leibowitz's recording), so fast that many thought it was a joke. The orchestra tried to do its best but by the finale it is totally over-run and on the brink of chaos." When I saw that DG had reissued this notorious recording as part of its new, Westminster archive series, coupling the Eroica with its stereo stable mate the Pastoral, my curiosity was aroused. I like Scherchen for many things: for his Mahler, for example, and for his Bach, especially his different versions of The Art of the Fugue. So I decided to give it a try. It's definitely not in the camp of Furtwängler of Celibidache, who tend to rein in the pace for the sake of grandeur; it's maybe a bit closer to Klemperer, who, like Scherchen, was a "modern" rather than a "romantic" in his interpretations. Really, however, it's wild and sui generis. To my ears, the ensemble does not lapse as badly as the critical remarks suggest, although the conductor does drive the musicians at a perfervid clip. The music reaches its most Dionysiac in the Finale, which is, after all, marked by Beethoven himself as Energico. As an experiment, it works. One wouldn't want this in a collection as the main representation of the Third Symphony, but as an adjunct to more mainstream interpretations it has considerable merit. The Pastoral is likewise quirky but effective, not that one couldn't criticize it. The First Movement is a tad too fast: speed does not necessarily equal the ecstasy and "spiritualization" of nature that Scherchen finds in the score. The storm, on the other hand, is the most dramatic that I've heard. The Westminster engineers were ahead of the pack in 1958 and the re-mastering results in a spacious sound-picture faithful at the same time to the details. This is a CD worth the tariff. I recommend to interested Scherchenites or Beethovenians to take the plunge."

Rather Eccentric Readings From Scherchen

Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 06/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hermann Scherchen is one of my favorite conductors - if I ever sat down and made a list of my "Top Twenty," I know he would be in there somewhere. I own (or have owned) all of his studio recordings and most of his "live" offerings as well. I admire him in modern music, some of his Bach, and all of his Haydn. But his Beethoven was, shall we say, "uneven."



The "Eroica" and the "Pastorale" recordings featured on this well-transferred CD are pretty erratic. I recall with amusement a Fanfare critic's assessment that "this 3rd is the most insane reading of a Beethoven symphony ever recorded." Well, I wouldn't go THAT far - but it is highly eccentric to be sure. The concept is fascinating - apparently Constantin Silvestri did something similar with the Bournemouth Symphony (hopefully, a radio tape of that might turn up someday - Silvestri surely achieved a higher level of ensemble playing than what is heard here under Scherchen). But I sure wouldn't want this Scherchen as my only recording of the work.



In the case of the "Pastorale," I simply get the feeling that Scherchen may have lost his interest in the music. There sure isn't much about it that you could call pastoral - it's all rather hard-bitten and unsympathetic. But at least the orchestra doesn't get caught as unawares (or napping) as in the 3rd, where some of the ensemble work verges on the comical. Scherchen's earlier 6th (once on Westminster LP 5108) was far more sympathetic - it was also 5 minutes slower.



I would suggest that, if you want to hear what Scherchen was capable of in the 3rd, then you should seek out a copy of "Hermann Scherchen: The Ultraphon Recordings" on Tahra 283/286. That wonderful set, which includes delightful readings of Mozart's Symphonies 29, 35, 36 & 40 and a fine Haydn #48, has a VERY GREAT Eroica, a fine #2, and some exquisite German Dances. That magisterial 3rd ranks among my very favorite accounts, along with Furtwangler (1944 Vienna Phil and 1952 Berlin Phil., both live), Weingartner/Vienna (Opus Kura or Naxos), Schuricht/Berlin Phil. (Originals), and the fascinating Mengelberg (studio 1940 on Pearl or Andante and the live 1942 on Tahra).



If you are seeking a Beethoven 3rd that is more "fast and straight," then try Matacic/Czech Phil. or Kletzki/Czech Phil. (different Supraphon CDs). I once thought Toscanini/NBC '53 was a great reading, but nowadays I find the maestro's driven style pretty tough to take. I have tried for over 30 years to like the mono Klemperer/Philharmonia, but for me it remains well-played and rather impersonal.



There are many great 'Pastorale" accounts. My mono preferences are Furtwangler (the live 1954 BPO on Tahra in particular) and the apposite E. Kleiber/Concertgebouw (Decca). Among the finest stereo CD accounts are Konwitschny/Leipzig Gewandhaus (Berlin Classics) and Cluytens/Berlin Phil. (deleted EMI).



To hear "fast" Scherchen Beethoven at its well-played best, give his 8th with the Royal Phil. on EMI a listen - it's a real stunner. Hopefully, we will soon get more of Scherchen's best Beethoven on CD: the 5th, Wellington's Victory, the complete Egmont, and the various overtures, including his superb Consecration of the House.



[Update 4-15-08] While I still find this stereo Scherchen 6th to be a disappointment, a recent re-listening to this swift Eroica has persuaded me that it truly is, in a quirky and somewhat haphazard way, a uniquely exhilarating account. However, I prefer its earlier transfer on MCA, coupled with an excellent First, to what DG Universal has produced here]."