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Symphony 5 / Symphony 3
Beethoven, Schumann, Giulini
Symphony 5 / Symphony 3
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (9) - Disc #1

Carlo Maria Giulini's extraordinary tenure at the L.A. Philharmonic was tragically cut short by his wife's serious illness. However, the partnership did produce a series of fine recordings, none better than this urgently...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Beethoven, Schumann, Giulini
Title: Symphony 5 / Symphony 3
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Polygram Records
Release Date: 6/13/1995
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028944550221

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Carlo Maria Giulini's extraordinary tenure at the L.A. Philharmonic was tragically cut short by his wife's serious illness. However, the partnership did produce a series of fine recordings, none better than this urgently expressive performance of the Fifth. Although American orchestras come in for their share of criticism on account of their brilliant sound (let's face it, the Europeans are jealous), Giulini trained this orchestra squarely in the Central European tradition--of string-based sonority accompanied by delicate winds, burnished brass, and a rock-solid bottom end from timpani, trombones, and basses. This is Romantic Beethoven, grand and glorious (particularly in the finale), but always urgent and firm in rhythm. Super Schumann, too. The recorded sound matches the interpretations perfectly. --David Hurwitz
 

CD Reviews

Excellent. A Reference Work.
Erik North | 11/20/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is not always easy to describe Giulini's style. "Reserved" is the word that comes immediately to mind. "Slow" is another. These descriptions that I have for the man are shaped by his opera repertoire, of which I must admit I am not a tremendous fan. Not so with this recording!! The first movement is fast, yet never sounds rushed. "Urgent" is probably accurate. The next two display near-flawless performances, with Giulini getting the most out of the subtleties of the work. And the fourth movement is excellent- grand, triumphant, and joyous, much as it should in such a back-heavy piece as the 5th. What I enjoyed most about this recording is the sound. Staging is very good, with tight string and horn sections. The bass is smooth- almost buttery. And the horns!! Their brilliance is wonderful, yet not overwhelming. Overall, one of the best recordings of the 5th in the past three decades, superior in this reviewer's opinion to Bernstein and von Karajan. All of this applies for the most part to the Schubert symphony as well. Sometimes the image is a little looser, and Giulini seems to have less control over the sound, but it is still an appropriate companion to the Beethoven."
Great Beethoven/Schumann pairing from Los Angeles
Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 02/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though he was only with them a few short years, Carlo Maria Giulini's tenure as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, replacing the great Zubin Mehta, was a richly rewarding time. Probably the best proof of that is in the recording of these two great German warhorses--the Beethoven 5th and Schumann's celebrated "Rhenish" symphony.Both recorded at UCLA's Royce Hall--the Schumann in December 1980, the Beethoven two years later--this recording displays the orchestra at its very best under Giulini's inspired direction. Though his tempos would later become very slow, this is not the case with these two pieces, both of which flow very evenly by and make for a great seventy-two minutes worth of listening. The Schumann is excellently done, so much so that it may be one of the finest recordings of this work in the last forty years. Beethoven's 5th, meanwhile, is given a superb performance that is arguably surpassed by no one else, with the possible exception of Carlos Kleiber's celebrated 1976 Vienna Philharmonic recording.A unique pairing of two seemingly different but equally dramatic German symphonic works, this recording comes vigorously recommended."
A very, very fine recording
Keith Peters | 07/21/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was privileged to be in Los Angeles when Carlo Maria Giulini had his unfortunately short tenure with the Philharmonic there. But from 1978 through 1984, if one went to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion when Giulini conducted the orchestra, one heard some of the finest music making ever. The Philharmonic musicians truly played their hearts out for him. This recording is a prime example. This was the first recording of the Schumann Rhenish that I owned and it remains the "perfect" one to my ears. Tempos to me seem absolutely right and balances are wonderful. The Beethoven is another excellent recording and fully deserving of the phrase definitive. Get this recording!"