Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Christoph von Dohnányi, Janice Taylor :: Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies

A Lesser Known Great Beethoven Symphony Cycle

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 01/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not only is this the best digitally recorded Beethoven symphony cycle performed by an American orchestra, it is unquestionably one of the best available. Why it isn't on amazon.com's list of best Beethoven symphony cycles is a great mystery to me. These are spellbinding performances which Telarc has done a very good job of recording. The Cleveland Orchestra plays Beethoven's music as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Vienna and Berlin. Under Dohnanyi's inspired conducting, the strings and woodwinds have a lush, sweet, almost Viennese sound; the brass sections play as warmly as their counterparts in Chicago.Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra have their share of great performances in this set. I can't think of a more perfect "Pastorale" than their version, perhaps better than Karl Bohm's with the Vienna Philharmonic. The 9th Symphony is another superlative performance too. The 3rd Symphony should be regarded as among the best, except that Telarc's engineers have overemphasized the brass section at great expense to both woodwinds and strings. Indeed, my main complaint is the fact that the sound is not as well balanced among different sections of the Cleveland Orchestra as I've heard elsewhere (e. g. Barenboim with the Berlin Staatskapelle or Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic). Other excellent performances include those of the 5th and 8th symphonies. Dohnanyi's version of the 7th Symphony is among the swiftest; it is a credible version, but one which isn't as compelling as those I've heard from the Vienna Philharmonic (conducted by Kleiber, Bernstein or Bohm), Nikolaus Harnoncourt with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, or Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Staatskapelle. Indeed, I will venture to say that this cycle is better than Karajan's classic Berlin Philharmonic cycle dating from the early 1960's, which many regard as a definitive cycle, including the music editors at amazon.com."

Absolutely brilliant

Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 07/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think another reviewer put it best: This is the only Beethoven symphony cycle in which I can listen and just hear Beethoven. All the other Beethoven conductors I've heard have, to varying degrees, let their egos get in the way of the music, to the point where I'm not sure how much of what I'm hearing is really Beethoven and how much is (insert conductor's name here). Dohnanyi, on the other hand, is a superb interpreter of what Beethoven intended his music to sound like, mainly because he keeps things direct and honest: there are no weird tempo variations, no out-of-place dynamic changes... no "ba-ba-baaaa-BUMMMMMMMMMMM"s for him, as someone else mentioned. He's just conducting what's on the page, and doing it extraordinarily well. The Cleveland Orchestra backs him up with a precision I haven't heard anywhere else. I use the phrase "tightly controlled" power a lot to refer to this particular orchestra: they don't try to blast a continuous wave of sound at you; rather, they snap it out in bursts. In addition, the orchestra plays with a polish, precision, and almost perfect balance for which I haven't found a match. The result is a Beethoven symphony cycle that's both powerful *and* precise, something I haven't found anywhere else: all other conductors err too far toward one side or the other. I do have to demote this cycle slightly for Telarc's sound, which--although very well done--does allow the brass to overshadow the other instrument groups slightly, most noticeably in the "Eroica." Fortunately, Dohnanyi is keenly aware of what every instrument family is doing and when each should be prominent, so the orchestral balance in each of these symphonies is well maintained anyway. I just can't say enough good things about this symphony cycle: listen to the whipcrack of a last note at the end of the first movement of the Fifth, for example, or the awesome, majestic second movement of that same symphony. Listen to the regal power of the entire "Eroica" as recorded here. Check out how jubilant the Fourth symphony (normally something of a throwaway) sounds under Dohnanyi's baton. Listen to the unusually boisterous peasants' dance in the Sixth. Note how hypnotic and woeful the slow movement of the Seventh becomes, or the lush, tender slow movement of the Ninth, or how awe-inspiring the Ninth's finale is, with its chorus just exploding out of the speakers. I could extend this list on and on, but I'm just babbling now. The point is, this sadly-underrated Beethoven symphony cycle is my cycle of choice. I won't go back to other interpretations now, and I bet if you try these interpretations out, you won't return either."

Simply Amazing!!

Ryan Richards | 04/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all those complete sets of Beethoven symphonies out there, this is by far the one to get. It is not that well known (it tends to be over-shadowd by recordings by Karajan and all those other guys), but it deserves more credit than any other set out there. This is the only Beethoven symphony set in which I can listen to it and simply hear Beethoven. There's no weird interpretations, it's simply Beethoven. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the world, and they prove that in this set. The woodwinds are especially superb. None of the music seems to drag or to be too fast - it's just right (I'm a big fan of fast tempi - but you just can't complain in this set). The Orchestra is very crisp and tight at all times, which is rare in most Beethoven cycles. After every symphony is done, you always feel like your ears have been greatly rewarded. The sound quality is fine - I don't know what some of the others are complaining about. I can hear every section (including the low strings) with no problem. This set is a great treat for your listening pleasure. This set is without a doubt the best one on the market right now!"