Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 20: Historical Recordings
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CD Details
Performer: Heinrich SchlusnusPerformer: Holger Byrding
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Arthur Nikisch
Conductor: Carl Schuricht
Conductor: Ferenc Fricsay
Conductor: Fritz Busch
Conductor: Manfred Gurlitt
Conductor: Otto Klemperer
Conductor: Peter Raabe
Conductor: Stanislaw Wislocki
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtw?ngler
Orchestra: Bavarian State Opera Orchestra
Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestra: Berlin State Opera Orchestra
Orchestra: Danmarks Radiosymfoniorkester
Orchestra: Danmarks Radiosymfoniorkester & Radiokor
Orchestra: Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper
Orchestra: Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 1997-12-09
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- 1. Allegro con brio
- 2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
- 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
- 4. Finale. Allegro molto
- 1. Allegro con brio
- 2. Andante con moto
- 3. Allegro
- 4. Allegro
- 1. Allegro con brio
- 2. Largo
- 3. Rondo. Allegro
- 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
- 2. Allegretto
- 3. Presto
- 4. Allegro con brio
- 1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
- 2. Molto vivace
- 3. Adagio molto e cantabile
- 4. Presto - Allegro assai
- Presto - "O Freunde, nicht diese T?ne!" - final chorus from Schiller's "Ode to Joy"
- 1. Allegro ma non troppo
- 2. Larghetto - attacca:
- 3. Rondo. Allegro
- 1. Allegro
- 2. Adagio un poco moto - attacca:
- 3. Rondo. Allegro
- Overture
- 1. Allegro
- 2. Romance
- 3. Rondo. Allegro assai
- 1. Allegro
- 2. Adagio molto espressivo
- 3. Scherzo. Allegro molto
- 4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
- 1. Adagio sostenuto - Presto
- 2. Andante con Variazioni 1-4
- 3. Finale. Presto
Music reviews of Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 20: Historical Recordings
Music Review: A curiously uneven box set, but the best things are memorable
Rating: 3 Stars
The reviewer below, who belongs to the small dedicated contingent of historical collectors here at Amazon, offers a run-down of this 6-CD set that's frequently at odds with what I hear. Since the DG complete Beethoven series was a major enterprise, I thought it worthwhile to give a different take on this hodge-podge of historical reissues.
CD 1. A wartime (i.e., Nazi) recording may still be distrasteful to some listeners. In any event this 1941 Schuricht/BPO "Eroica" is in reasonably good sound, cleaned up within an inch of its life, which took out too many high frequencies. Dullish sound suits a dullis reading, however. Why DG chose to spotlight this performance is a mystery. The rest of the disc is a miss as well, since Nikisch's 1913 Fifth Sym. is a mere curiosity, unlistenable by any standard except the archivist's.
CD 2. Annie Fischer is miked close and loud in the Third Piano Concerto, which otherwise has clear mono sound from 1957. Her warm-hearted interpretation is straightforward except for some niggling pauses and accents that sound odd. Fricsay offers nothing special in the accompaniment, either, but he comes to life in a Seventh Sym., with the BPO in stereo from 1960 that's nicely alert, although the Scherzo and finale feel somewhat too relaxed. I'm not sure I'd even call this a historical performance, but in any case its quality is high, if not outstanding. Many Sevenths earlier and later have more distinciton.
CD 3. Fritz Busch has such a small discography that the same things keep circulating; that's true of this concert reading of the Leonore Over. #2 with the provincial-sounding Danish Radio Sym. Orch., which comes in good, clear mono from 1950. It's a wonderfully musical, satisfying reading. From the same period and of equal quality comes a live Ninth Sym. that's conventional and yet full of Busch's commitment and integrity. If only the Danish musicians were equal to his inspiration. They lack power and virtuosity; as for the vocal soloists, all Danish as well, they hold their own without showing any great ability. Calling this performance great, as Mr. Lipscomb does, baffles me.
CD 4. Constant hiss and cramped, boxy acoustics from 1929 mark a drastic drop in recorded quality. I'm a fiarly qualified historical listener, but I've never heard of the soloist, Josef Wolsthal, or the conductor, Manfred Gurlitt. That's my loss, because both perform splendidly in an alert, fairly quick reading that finds the violin miked close enough to sound sweet and natural. Still, one would think that DG has greater examples in their vast vaults, in considerably better sound. I'll take Mr. Lipscomb's word for it that the 1936 "Emperor" is Wilhelm Kempff's earliest recording, but the notes say it's from the studio, not live. In any event, the sound, though hissy, is full enough to enjoy. I'm unfamiliar with Peter Rabe, who leads the Berlin Phil. here, but he's adequate. Kempff is fine although not inspired. By this point one has serious doubts about why these particular recordings have been chosen.
CD 5. Suddenly we burst upon greatness with Furtwangler's live 1943 Coriolan Over. in a searing reading that must be the greatest this work has ever had. The Nazis pioneered tape recording, and the sonics here are surprisingly good. They lapse back into murky mono for Furtwangler's Egmont Over., a studio version from 1933 that's worth hearing for its rock-ribbed nobility. Drop down another few notches in sound to Otto Klemperer's Leonore Over. #3 from 1927--one laments that this mesmerizing performance isn't more listenable. After a very fine "Rage Over a Lost Penny" from Kempff (1937) we get the Mozart piano concerto #20 in d minor, the excuse being that both cadenzas are by Beethoven. Sviataslav Richter is the pianist, and his conductor one Stanislav Wislocki with the scrappy Warsaw Phil. (stereo, 1959). Richter's committed Communism kept him from taking his pick of great Western orchestras during this time. Needless to say, his performance is veyr fine, but again I don't hear white-hot inspiration or much individuality for that matter.
CD 6. Now we leave orchestral music behind for the "Spring" and "Kreutzer" Sonatas by Schneiderhan (1952) and Kulenkampff (1935), respectively (both with Kempff). I've never joined the Schneiderhan cult, and his "Spring" sonata sounds merely straightforward. Kulenkampff, known to me only from a few recordings with Furtwangler, has more to say in the Kreutzer, which is in just as good sound form the Thirites as the preceding one. This is an outstanding Kreutzer by any standards, vying with the best for style and expressivity. The collection ends with the song cycle "An die ferne Geliebte" and four other songs from the famed baritone Heinrich Schusnus. Being from 1939, the sound is relatively natural and clear; in fact his voice is captured quite well. Most listeners will already know if they admire the Lieder style of the period, with its extremely free rhythms--free to the point of barely existing, in fact. Schusnus's singing is certainly old-fashined but not antique, and he is intensely involved in each song. Both accompanists are long forgotten and do only a serviceable job.
How to sum up? I was surprised to find only two performances I would call great--Furtwangler's Coriolan and Kulenkampff's Kreutzer sonata--while most of the rest falls within the range of middling enjoyable. DG could have done much better. In the end I'm happy I bought this set for $30 in a used record shop.
General CDs
- Styles > Classical
- Chamber Music > General
- Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B ) > Beethoven, Ludwig van
- ( M ) > Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
- Featured Performers, A-Z > ( B ) > Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- Forms & Genres > Concertos > General
- Rondos
- Symphonies > Romantic
- Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music > Incidental Music
- Overtures
- Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > General
- Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
- Romantic (c.1820-1910) > Forms & Genres > Chamber Music
- Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
- Vocal & Song
- Instruments > Keyboard > Piano
- Strings > Violin
- Symphonies > General
- Opera & Vocal > General
- Beethoven, Ludwig van - Works by Beethoven
- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus - Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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