Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Daniel Harding, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie :: Beethoven: Overtures / Daniel Harding

The definitive recording!

Robert Macedo-Alves | Madeira, Portugal | 05/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Beethoven recording conducted by Daniel Harding is marked out mostly by its bristling, scintillating energy. Despite the brisk (but marvellous) "tempi", the interpretation here shows a great musical clarity alongside a subtlety of detail and beauty of sound. The fiery, apollonian character of these overtures is clearly stressed by this young conductor, and it is simply perfect! Take the "Leonore I" as an example... It (definitely) is the most thrilling recording I ever heard of this exciting work. Harding's personal choices of tempo and rubato seemed a natural part of the music onward flow. The entire set of overtures is remarkable for its consistency of interpretation! Forget Abbado, Barenboim or Gardiner - this is the definitive recording of Beethoven Overtures!"

A newcomer with little new to say

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 09/28/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Daniel Harding came to classical music as a wunderkind assistant to several big name conductors including Claudio Abbado. The young German got his first post in England and has recorded several staples of the classical repertoire including these well-known Beethoven overtures.



There isn't much reason to go into detail about these recordings since Harding never changes style. He conducts them all in a very crisp, staccato attack with tempos that are on the fast side even for the period performance crowd. His work here is similar to the job done by David Zinman in his recent CD of these overtures.



The German chamber orchestra he conducts plays well for the most part and the recording is up to 21st century standards. If you want a modern recording in period style of Beethoven's most famous overtures, this one will do.



For me, the complete overtures and occasional music of Beethoven by the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Stanislav Skrowaczeski, last seen on two budget Vox CDs, continues to be the most authoritative version of this music on a modern-sounding CD. I urge you to find that set and forget this one and all others, for that matter."