Symphonies 4 , Op.60: Allegro vivace - Trio: Un poco meno allegro
Symphonies 4 , Op.60: Allegro ma non troppo
Symphonies 7 , Op.92: Poco sostenuto - Vivace
Symphonies 7 , Op.92: Allgretto
Symphonies 7 , Op.92: Presto - Assai meno presto
Symphonies 7 , Op.92: Allegro con brio
Some have actually claimed that Roger Norrington's career is the creation of the English press and one of the bigger hoaxes currently before the public. Norrington uses his enthusiasm for the strange squeaks and squeals th... more »at he elicits from his not terribly fine band to conceal the fact that he has no ideas about Beethoven that can't be summed up by the words "fast and loud." Avoid at all costs. --David Hurwitz« less
Some have actually claimed that Roger Norrington's career is the creation of the English press and one of the bigger hoaxes currently before the public. Norrington uses his enthusiasm for the strange squeaks and squeals that he elicits from his not terribly fine band to conceal the fact that he has no ideas about Beethoven that can't be summed up by the words "fast and loud." Avoid at all costs. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
Magnificent!
Peter S | Palatine, IL United States | 10/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Much as the cleaning of the Cistene Chapel has revealed previously unknown color and vibrance, so too Norrington's restoration of Beethoven's 7th reveals a brilliance hitherto unimagined. Years of pomp and custom have been stripped to reveal a more exhilarating work than could have been imagined. Bravo!"
An excellent band playing Beethoven as Beethoven would wish
"Although I have greatly enjoyed listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Fourth (Solti) and the von Karajan Seventh (Berlin Philharmonic), if I were allowed only one version of these tremendous Beethoven symphonies it would be Norrington's. Why? I think the key-word here is 'transparency'. The period instruments, the original Beethoven tempi (Norrington sticks closely to the metronome marks added by Beethoven or his immediate pupils), the re-seating of the orchestra according to 18th and early 19th century principles and, last but not least, the brilliant recording engineering at London's famous Abbey Road Studios all contribute to a listening experience which takes you deep into Beethoven and his music and makes this CD something rather special. I'm afraid that Mr. Hurwitz' not very witty comments rebound back on him: The London Classical Players are (I should say, were; they have unfortunately disbanded) an excellent period instrument orchestra, and Norrington's version is born not merely of a desire to be an innovator but of love for this music and the desire to restore it to what it was and should remain, namely as Beethoven conceived and wrote it.
Norrington's tempi are often picked out as being too fast, but that is a misconception. In Symphony No. 4, Norrington does go a lot faster than Solti, it is true (he is over three minutes shorter on the second Adagio), but I find that this gives the music a drive that gets lost in the slower, romanticizing version. In Symphony No. 7, however, Norrington takes the opening Poco sostenuto - Vivace quite a bit slower than von Karajan, while his Allegro con brio is nearly two and a half minutes longer than the Berlin version, where von Karajan turns Allegro into Presto. Personally, I find the two central movements of the Seventh to be much more convincing in the period instrument version, and the somewhat strange sounds to be heard seem to fit in with the whole rather nicely.
Norrington was one of the pioneers of romantic music on period instruments. This recording will not be forgotten."
An excellent HIP Beethoven performance.
Timothy De Paepe | Antwerp, Belgium | 09/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some will find this performance quite 'unusual' and to be honest, I can't blame those people. Roger Norrington approaches the music in a very 18th century way, making room for orignal instruments and techniques and opening up an entire new world of sound and effects. If you like your Beethoven a bit unconventional (like me) and you're open to a whole new experience than this should be your choice; if not, I'd advise you to stay away from this edition.To me anyway, the complete Norrington cycle of the 9 symphonies are landmark recordings and worthy of any collection!"
Early 19th Century rock & roll?
DJ Rix | NJ USA | 12/08/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I rather like this Beethoven 7th as an approximation of early 19th Century rock & roll, which of course it isn't. The martial timpani, the rough quality of the strings, the size of the band, dynamics & tempi mostly loud & furious; it's more listenable if less amusing altogether than what The Portsmouth Sinfonia does. So what does it prove? That Beethoven did the best he could with what was available? That he was almost lucky to be deaf? That the levels of performance quality in his time varied widely & wildly? Perhaps. But I think Beethoven would gladly have accepted a larger, more professional Romantic-era orchestra & a Concertmaster with a tuning fork. As for the wind instruments, I heard some very strange noises coming from them that are made on superbly-crafted modern instruments only with special effort. Sir Roger isn't a hoax, as his recordings with the SWR Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart demonstrate. But he may well have been knighted prematurely. The Norrington 7th is also available with the Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, & Egmont Overture, Op. 84. Bob Rixon"
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1