Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD]
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CD Details

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Conductor: Osmo Vänskä
Conductor: Osmo Vanska
Orchestra: Minnesota Orchestra
Performer: Katarina Karnéus
Performer: Helena Juntunen
Performer: Daniel Norman
Edition: Music CD
Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD, Import
CD Release Date: 2006-10-24
Music Label: Bis
Soundtracks:
  1. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: I. Allegro ma non troppo e un poco maestoso
  2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: II. Molto vivace - Presto
  3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: III. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante cantabile
  4. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: IV. Presto - Allegro assai - Presto (recitativo: 'O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!') - All

Music reviews of Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD]

Music Review: I'm torn
Rating: 4 Stars

I have a hard time giving a quantitative score to this album-- my 4 is largely arbitrary in that I could have easily gone lower or higher, so 4 is kind of a compromise. I don't think that I've seen a single sentence of praise of this album that I disagree with, so I'll just refer you to all of the high marks that it's gotten in these reviews. I'm also not familiar enough with the recording history of the 9th Symphony to place this among the various recordings mentioned by those who laud or detract, so I'll just give my perspective.

I downloaded this as an mp3 from another (legal) service. I have no background regarding Vanska or his conducting history, I just wanted a decent (for an MP3) version of the 9th, so I grabbed it. I fell in love with this recording. For the last couple of months it has been my go-to music for my walk to campus in the morning, often music for getting centered for class and teaching, it's been just great. Even for an MP3 through my Grado SR-225i, it sounded pretty good. Then while looking at the album art on the screen of my Zune one day, "Hey, that's an SACD logo..." so I tracked down the SACD on Amazon. It was a little pricey, so it lingered in my "save for later" for quite a while, but after seeing SACDs go out of print and their prices skyrocket, it made more sense to buy it than to waffle further (I'm not even really sure why I put it off, honestly).

I have to say that the 5 channel mix (no information for the LFE channel) is, in my opinion, fairly disappointing. I didn't expect it to be swirling around my head like a Flaming Lips album or something, but I do have several classical and symphonic multichannel SACDs that seem to take advantage of the medium a bit better. This mix is very center-channel heavy. Admittedly, my center speakers are the weakest link in my system currently (I have plans to fix this), but they are NOT terrible speakers by any means. But the center-heavy mix almost makes the recording seem mono and very flat, and I'm not sure that the rear is being used in any meaningful way at all. I didn't go put my ears on them or anything, but it certainly wasn't an immersive experience. I'll check again, but if you have to shove your face in a speaker to check to see if it's being used, it might as well not be. Yes, they should be transparent, but it should be noticeably different from stereo or what's the point?

Anyway, after the wonderful stereo mix the 5 channel was really disappointing. I have a Hovhaness album that uses the multiple channels to place you in the concert hall (I think that I can even tell where in the hall I'm sitting!). A great Goldsmith album where the music pulls you in, and many others that even seem to place you in or very near the orchestra pit. This album, in the MC mix is very distancing and flat.

So I'd still strongly recommend this album, but to give the 5 channel and stereo mixes a good listen. On a good stereo system, I think you'll be very pleased. I might try some more playing with the 5 channel mix, but it didn't expand on the stereo mix at all and actually ended up feeling smaller. At the very least I have a new lossless rip of the CD and a very nice sounding stereo album that can do my speakers justice!

Your mileage may vary.

EDIT: Very shortly after posting this review, I decided to put it in and give it another listen. The MC mix isn't nearly as stifling as I remembered. Maybe I went into the SACD with such high expectations that they couldn't be met. I still think that it differs very little from the stereo mix, but since that is already so great... it's hardly a slight against it. It still just seems to be missing some presence that it could have had, but to each her/his own.
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