Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Otto Edelmann, Hans Hopf :: Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies [Box Set]

Not An Ideal Collection Of Furtwangler's Beethoven

Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 06/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own this fine set and plan to keep it. But if you are a relative newcomer to Furtwangler's Beethoven, please be warned that this set is rather uneven in quality. There are Furtwangler performances available elsewhere that, in several cases, are far superior to what is offered here. As a general rule, Furtwangler was more eloquent in live concert than he was in the recording studio. Symphonies 1 and 3-7 here are studio recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic. The other general rule: Furtwangler's greatest performances were mostly with the Berlin Philharmonic. Here is a rundown of this set:1. This 1952 VPO First Symphony is one of Furtwangler's best studio efforts - I think it's his finest First.2. This live 1948 VPO Second from London has really awful sound. Unfortunately, it's the only surviving recorded 2nd with Furtwangler. I also feel it is one of Furtwangler's less impressive interpretations. Other conductors, such as Schuricht and Weingartner (in different EMI sets) are more persuasive. 3. The 1952 VPO "Eroica" here has fine sound, but it pales as a performance compared with the live 1944 VPO (M&A 4049)or - my favorite of ALL Beethoven 3rds - the live 1952 Berlin (in good sound) on Tahra 1054/7. 4. Although the 1943 Berlin (M&A 4049) is a far more dramatic reading, this 1952 VPO has much better sound. Take your pick.5. This rather benign 5th from 1954 is a lesser example of Furtwangler's commanding way with this score than either the 1943 Berlin (M&A 4049) or the 1954 BPO (Tahra 1054/7). The 1943 is my favorite, but the Tahra has much better sound. There are two other exceptional 5ths: the 1937 Berlin studio (Biddulph) and the rather eccentric 1947 live Berlin (M&A 789). All in all, I think the 1954 BPO on Tahra is the safest bet.6. This 1952 VPO "Pastoral" is a lovely reading in good sound. But the live BPO 1954 (Tahra 1054/7) is even better, and the sound is excellent. Both are rather slow - the 1944 BPO (M&A 4049) was more dramatic but in lesser sonics.7. I am very fond of this 1950 VPO - it was my first Furtwangler 7th on LP. However, the 1943 live Berlin (M&A 4049) is my favorite by far: it's one of the most dramatic of ALL 7ths.8. There is a somewhat better Furtwangler 8th (1953 Berlin on a deleted DG CD) than this 1948 Stockholm Phil. But as with the 2nd Symphony, Furtwangler is a little heavy here and a bit short on humor. There are better 8ths out there from Rosbaud (Hanssler), Weingartner (Memories), and Scherchen (EMI), to name just three.9. The gem of this set. This 1951 live Bayreuth would be my desert island choice for a Beethoven 9th. Fortunately, it is available by itself on EMI in an identical transfer (see my review of it elsewhere at Amazon). But anyone who loves this symphony should also try to hear Furtwangler's 1942 BPO (M&A 4049) - the most dramatic of ALL 9ths - and the conductor's last one: 1954 Lucerne with the Philharmonia, just 3 months before his death (Tahra 1054/7).This EMI set is definitely worth having - the 1st, 6th, 7th and 9th are among Furtwangler's finest. But to hear what he was fully capable of in these magnificent works, the alternatives cited above are definitely worth your time. Anyway, this is great music that should be heard in readings by more than just one conductor. So I would want to have an alternative complete set or two for contrast. Two of my favorites in that category are the Schuricht/Paris Conservatory (EMI) and Konwitschny with the Leipzig Gewandhaus (Berlin Classics). Both of these have better sound - and the Konwitschny is (gasp!) in stereo. Here's wishing you many hours of happy listening!"

Furtwangler's Beethoven: A Towering Achievement

pm444 | Okemos, MI USA | 03/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beethoven was a central part of Furtwangler's art, and he returned again and again to the symphonies, leaving a recorded legacy that appears not only in this EMI set, but in live performances on numerous smaller labels as well. With the exception of the 2nd, the 8th, and the legendary Bayreuth 9th, all of which were recorded live, this set consists of Furtwangler's EMI studio recordings, made between 1948 and 1954. The sound is decent mono, remastered for this set in 2000 with EMI's "Abbey Road Technology". Furtwangler's Beethoven cannot be easily described the way Toscanini's or Klemperer's might be (though such characterizations are generally unfair in any case, no matter who the conductor may be). He had the ability to sustain slow tempos that in other hands would threaten to topple the entire structure of the symphony, but under Furtwangler's direction, seem to be just right. His approach never distorts the music, and almost always offers the listener new insight and pleasure in the music.These recordings were made near the end of Furtwangler's life. For interpretations that are more spontaneous, his war-time performances are available on the Music and Arts label (as well as other labels, but the Music and Arts set was the easiest to find). They tend to be more driven, reflecting the turmoil of the time, but with surprisngly good sound (including some audience noise). All of the recordings in the EMI set are also avaialable on separate discs. The 9th is part of EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" and is considered by many to be one of the best 9ths ever recorded. Notes by Richard Osborne are interesting and informative."

Furtwangler's LvB pays long-term rewards

Ruminator | The Fencepost | 04/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I may have to agree when a previous reviewer says don't buy this Furtwangler set if you must have modern stereo sound production, I have to differ with specific recommendations for Abbado and von Karajan based on DG stereo production values. Klemperer, Bohm, Walter, and Szell made stereo Beethoven records just as worthy of our money, and we consumers are no longer blinded by the commercial myth-making that once made DG and von Karajan everybody's top choice for any kind of orchestral music from Bach to Bartok. To be fair, von Karajan certainly produced great music at times, and still remains my personal favorite for Sibelius, but for Beethoven I look elsewhere.



So the question remains why Furtwangler's set should have a spot in anybody's classical music collection. Those who already admire his conducting may need no persuasion, though conneissuers may argue the merits of EMI's archives versus other performances on specialty labels. Newcomers must be willing to accept late mono sound quality to experience these legendary interpretations, and allow plenty of listening time for all the positives to be heard. Most of all, the 1951 Bayreuth 9th seems utterly impossible to improve upon and some listeners may suffice by acquiring the single-CD reissue of that performance alone.



But the complete set further reinforces Furtwangler's legendary reputation as we hear him plunge deeply into every performance and his orchestra breathes like a powerful athlete at one point or a sleeping baby at another. Few conductors ever master this combination of spontaneity and control as Furtwangler did and the dynamics can be exhilarating. While von Karajan and Abbado may gain some benefit from mid-20th-century recording technology, Furtwangler and Toscanini demonstrate how two conductors of an earlier generation could render this music even more exciting through individual interpretive skills, without the advantage of technological polish.



In conclusion, the intrinsic musical merits of this collection are its strongest recommendation, and packaging is excellent with all 5 CDs in one double-size jewelbox. While Furtwangler's music-making in this collection usually transcends most limits with sound quality, no complete Beethoven set has yet proven perfect, and here the outliers would perhaps be the 2nd and 8th. Among stereo sources, I would suggest supplementing this set with affordable alternates such as Bohm (3/8), Klemperer (5/7), Walter (4/6), Sanderling (1/2), and Wand (9).



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