Beethoven: The Symphonies

Beethoven: The Symphonies

Beethoven: The Symphonies
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CD Details

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
Orchestra: Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); German (Published)
CD Release Date: 2010-03-30
Music Label: Archiv
Product features:
  • A history-making set
  • "I felt as if I were hearing [the symphonies] for the first time." - H.C. Robbins Landon
  • Played on Original Instruments
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
  2. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantabile con moto
  3. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
  4. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 4. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
  5. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
  6. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 2. Larghetto
  7. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
  8. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 4. Allegro molto
Music CD 2
  1. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 1. Allegro con brio
  2. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
  3. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
  4. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 4. Finale. Allegro molto
  5. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
  6. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 2. Adagio
  7. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 3. Allegro vivace
  8. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 4. Allegro ma non troppo
Music CD 3
  1. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 1. Allegro con brio
  2. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 2. Andante con moto
  3. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 3. Allegro
  4. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 4. Allegro
  5. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 1. Pleasant, Cheerful Feelings Awakened in a Person on Arriving in the Country. Alleg
  6. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 2. Scene by the Brook. Andante molto moto
  7. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 3. Merry gathering of Country Folk. Allegro
  8. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 4. Thunderstorm. Allegro
  9. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 5. Shepherds' Song: Happy and Thankful Feelings to the Deity after the Storm. Allegre
Music CD 4
  1. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
  2. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 2. Allegretto
  3. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 3. Presto
  4. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 4. Allegro con brio
  5. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio
  6. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 2. Allegretto scherzando
  7. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 3. Tempo di Menuetto
  8. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 4. Allegro vivace
Music CD 5
  1. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
  2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 2. Molto vivace
  3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 3. Adagio molto e cantabile
  4. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 4. Presto
  5. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 5. Presto. O Freunde, nicht diese Tone!. Allegro assai

Music reviews of Beethoven: The Symphonies

Music Review: One of the most magnificent sets is now at a budget price
Rating: 4 Stars

Gardiner's period instrument cycle was the best of both worlds when it was released in the mid-nineties, appealing to purists and traditionalists alike. It secured better playing than Hogwood did in his fine cycle and has remained in-print unlike Bruggen's fantastic series. But most importantly, it did not grossly offended many listeners like Rodger Norrington's cycle did, with its hard hitting accents and fast tempos. Indeed, it was Beethoven for Beethoven's sake, with spirited tempos, big playing, and a true understanding of the composer's idiom. In this regard, despite the publication of the Barenreiter editions, the set still remains fresh, attractive, and "current" with much of the recent scholarship, in no small part because Gardiner worked with Del Mar in preparation of this set.

As far as complete cycles go, this still remains a favorite period set as well as a front runner as far as cycles are concerned. For one, Gardiner secures fabulous playing from his period band, with full-bodied, gutsy strings, golden-toned brass, and bright winds, especially from the typically undernourished clarinets and bassoons. Intonation is always spot-on and the overall timbre of the orchestra has that typical warmth and spice one can only find from period instruments. Secondly, Gardiner is across-the-board a very fine interpreter indeed. He is excellent in all the sonata-form movements, judging and balancing climaxes wonderfully, while finding the humor throughout, especially in Beethoven's delicious scherzo movements. But he also knows when to pull back and let lyrical passages be just that lyrical, that lack of which was the major shortcoming in Norrington's cycle.

A great example would be Gardiner's absolutely thrilling Seventh, one of the truly great performances of this work. The opening has that cosmic quality of Toscanni's reference account, while the allegro-vivace is imbued with boundless energy. The central climax and transition into the recapitulation manages to be both textually clear but exciting - no small feat - while the grinding lower strings in the coda are wonderfully present. Gardiner finds the perfect balance between grief and anger in the allegretto while the scherzo just overflows with joy. In the finale, Gardiner makes the music sound faster than it actually is with crisp playing from the strings and explosive playing from the winds, high horns especially. It is marvelous from start to finish and while it may lack that last ounce of fervor found in Kleiber, Toscanni, or Harnoncourt, the kaleidoscope of colors he elicits from the period instrumements more than makes up for that last ounce of obsessive energy.

The fifth is also fabulous. If there is one complaint, it is that the first movement is not as visceral as Kleiber or Szell with Concertgebouw. Part of the problem lies with using period instruments; the gutsy, full-bodied strings cannot create the same razor sharp attack on the famous opening as modern instruments while the general bright timbre of the orchestra fails to make the coda quite as terrifying as it can be. No matter, however, because from the andante onward, the performance is a true winner. Much of what makes Gardiner's interpretation so special is that it is one of the few interpretations that really highlights the famous "ta-ta-ta dum" rhythm in the other three movements, especially in the trio of the scherzo (thankfully repeated) and in the second theme of the finale. And of the latter movement, Gardiner cannot be praised enough. It just explodes with energy; the climax before the ghost of the scherzo has few peers and the taught rhythmic energy is about as exciting as it gets. Those that like the "German School" fifths of Karajan and Furtwangler might find Gardiner's fifth a bit direct but its insatiable energy is undeniably infectious, especially in the thrilling coda (what magnificent brass playing).

Gardiner's ninth is a real winner, especially in this crowded field. I certainly would not want to part with my reference Szell and Wand performances, not to mention Karajan, Friscay, and Barenboim among others, but Gardiner's can easily stand with the best. For one, Gardiner is one of only a handful of conductors - the other being Toscanni - that convincingly manages a quick tempo for the first movement. Where it sounds pedestrian and uninteresting in other hands (Jarvi), here the quick allegro really is exciting as hell because Gardiner lets the tutti passages explode with an overwhelming visceral impact. The recapitulatory climax is outstanding and the coda is a clinic on how this music should be conducted. At a little over twelve minutes, the adagio is ideally timed but never sounds rushed. The finale has everything necessary for success, and it certainly succeeds with its fine vocal quartet and sustained energy. After a wonderful "Gott" cadence, Gardiner takes the Turkish march in cut time, which was controversial at the time. However, to ears attuned to the recent tempo adjustments in Beethoven, this now sounds "normal." The march is lively, with all its janissary effects, but Gardiner's dynamic swell into the double fugue is really outstanding while the fugue itself, along with the coda, are as exciting as any. Only in the scherzo does this performance suffer, mostly because the period strings have trouble where their modern colleagues have none - executing the dotted rhythms.

Listeners who like their Eighths fast and furious have long loved Gardiner's fantastic performance, although Jarvi's recent Eighth is now my reference historically informed performance. While Jarvi's Eighth might beat out Gardiner for sheer excitement, Gardiner is not close behind with his boundless energy in the outer movements. The development of the allegro is spectacularly aggressive, with an effective recapitulation (thank goodness!) and a blazing coda. The central movements, especially the delightful allegretto, have tremendous color from the winds and lower strings. The finale goes by in little over six minutes, which may seem extreme next to the eight minutes both Szell and Bohm take in their classic performances, but Gardiner's players justify the tempo with their razor sharp articulations and limitless reserve of stamina. It is just tremendously exciting from start to finish.

Not all the performances, however, are run-away winners. The forth begins shakily, Gardiner's dead-pan plain-faced opening missing a lot of the emotion of Mackerras, Bohm, or Jarvi. The allegro proper has many fine moments indeed, including a crushing central climax, but Gardiner all-too-gentle handling of the second theme group robs the music of its propulsive energy. The adagio, however, is spectacular; Gardiner's emphasis on lyricism is spot-on and some of the passages, including the sweeping triplet string figures under the soaring clarinet line, have never been bettered. The scherzo is all bumptious energy as it should be while the finale is all good fun, even if Gardiner does not capture the same manic energy found in Haitink (LSO), Jarvi, or Mackerras.

The second, like the forth, has many great moments, but somehow fails to delight in the same way as Gardiner's more successful outings. The opening to the first movement is taken lyrically - a valid point for certain - but the more hard-hitting approaches of Wand, Dohnanyi, and Vanska are that much more exciting. Gardiner's tempo choice for the allegro proper is very fast, which is not necessarily a problem so long as the players can generate the appropriate amount of energy, but here, something is lost. Gardiner also has a somewhat mannered approach to many of the wind declamations towards the end of the exposition and recapitulation, which is interesting but wears over time. Still, the developmental climax has boundless energy and the coda, while featuring some reticent trumpets, is still exciting. Gardiner navigates the two central movements with no problems but I prefer the brusquer humor of Vanska or Cluytens in the scherzo's trio. The finale is also very good, but still manages to be less exciting than simply fast.

In the allegro of the sixth, Gardiner fails to imbue the placid musical surface with the undercurrents of joy and happiness in the same way as Bohm, Vanska, Toscanni, Dohnanyi, and Wand. The development, for example, begins promisingly, with some exceptionally warm string swells, but the climax before the recapitulation (and in the coda for that matter) is not as joyous as it should be. Gardiner also adds mannered hesitations in the second theme group which sound less interesting than they do annoying. However, the "Scene by the Brook" is as wonderful as any, in no small part due to the very present cello duo throughout. The scherzo features a particularly rustic country dance, leading into a very dark thunderstorm, which sounds more menacing than usually with the tart period winds and timpani. The "Sheppard's Song" is warm and lovely, as it always is, but others, like Szell and Vanska, have shaped better hymns of Thanksgiving towards the movement's close and, for all of Gardiner's insistence on accuracy, it does not sound as if the final horn call is played by a muted horn.

Gardiner's "Eroica" is very close to great, but the first and third movements are less than ideal. In the former, despite some tremendous playing and one of the best realizations of the coda with Beethoven's original orchestration, Gardiner applies to mannered hesitations, one at dissonant pile-up and the other right before the coda that rob the music of a great deal of forward momentum. In the scherzo, Gardiner underscores Beethoven's emphasis on the weak beat, but the general lack of zeal and zest prevents the music from propelling forward as it should. However, the period strings and pert winds do themselves proud in the colorful march, although a darker timbre and greater presence from the lower strings would have made the music all the more special.

All in all, Gardiner's set is real winner and it is one of the few cycles where the big symphonies - the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth - are all consistently excellent while the even numbered symphonies, with the exception of the eighth, are scarcely less fine. It not only represents one of the greatest period sets available but also one of the finest cycles period. And at this price, if you didn't snatch it up the first time, now is high time to do so.
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Description of Beethoven: The Symphonies

Acclaimed since it first appeared in 1994, this 5-CD set features John Eliot Gardiner as he leads the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique in ground-breaking performances.

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