Search - Sir Georg Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker :: Beethoven; Symphonies 3, 5 & 7

Solti was even better in his pre-Chicago days

Stan Vernooy | Henderson, NV | 01/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit to a small prejudice here: The performance of the Seventh on this CD was the very first classical record I ever bought, in the fall of 1963. It is still one of my very favorite performances of that symphony. Solti was more romantic, with a sweeter and more voluptuous sound to his orchestra, in his Vienna days than in his later Chicago career.The Seventh is perfectly proportioned, with a fiery but not out-of-control tempo in the finale. There are so many recordings of the Seventh that no one of them can be claimed as definitvely the best, but this can certainly stand up there with any other recording I have ever heard, and it's better than most.The Third Symphony here is of the Szell-Toscanini mold, but certainly with much better sound than either of those two conductors had. You have to decide which way you like it better: aggressive and exciting like this, or majestic and powerful like Furtwangler, Bohm, or Klemperer. If you like the aggressive and exciting side of the music, this recording is as good as you're going to hear.To me the Fifth was the real revelation on this recording. No one, not even Kleiber (whom I proclaimed the best ever in a previous review) has done the first three movements with a more perfect blend of excitement, beauty, and perfectly judged tempos. It is simply thrilling. In the last movement, however, I felt Solti slightly backed off on some of the most triumphant notes and chords, playing them sort of semi-sforzando and thereby weakening the effect. I kept saying under my breath, "Go for it, man, go for it!!" But my criticism here is only to say that Solti missed the chance to make a great and brilliant recording instead of a merely excellent one.The sound is from the early 60's or even earlier, but you would never know that without reading the label. It is full and sweet, and a joy to listen to.A wonderful bargain - get it!"

First Class

Bernard P. Gilbert | 03/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of Beethoven Symphonies can hold its own against the best in the market. The 1959 Solti Eroica is more spacious than Karajan's 1962 Eroica but better. Not only does Decca have a better recording and sound, Solti's interpretation is more exciting and befitting of the heroic proportions of the Eroica Symphony. Karajan's 1962 recording is too revebrant. You get the feeling that the orchestra is playing in an empty hall (which, in fact, it is). You'll be surprised but Decca in 1959 had a better recorded sound than later Decca. The sense of presence is incredible. The same can be said of the 5th and 7th symphony. The Vienna Philharmonic is simply Hors Concours here. They outshine the Berlin Philharmonic for in the 5th and 7th in Karajan's cycle. Somehow, the Karajan leaves one vaguely dissatisfied. To be fair to Karajan, part of the reason is the unsatisfactory recording by DG which is too revebrant. The woodwinds in particular sound like they some from some distance away. Whereas in the Solti Vienna edition, the woodwinds are rightly in front. The sound is fuller and better.Solti's 5th is fast and furious and Gramophone rightly said - it is in the 'great' class. The horns come through thrillingly in the 7th symphony. I have Carlos Kleiber's 5th and 7th. I think the honors are about equal between Kleiber and Solti. If I had to make a choice, I would go with the Kleiber. But the Solti is also not to be missed, especially since it comes with his Eroica. the Solti can hold its own against the kleiber. Collectors need not hesitate to purchase this Solti set.The Vienna Philharmonic has once again proven that it is one of the world's greatest orchestras. Recommended without hesitation."

They're back and Better Than Ever

Bernard P. Gilbert | Alexandria, VA United States | 10/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I owned these back when the world was young and vinyl was the only medium you could hear them on. The prizes here are the third and seventh. In the "Eroica", Solti takes all the repeats, and, for my money, strikes just the right balance between the excessively propulsive performance of Dohnanyi's Cleveland and Klemperer's ponderous New Philharmonia. The second movement again hits just the right stride, not too fast, but never bogging down. There are some wonderful horn balances in the fugue section that still raise the hairs on my arms thirty years after I first heard this performance. The scherzo is full throttle, almost impossibly fleet, except for the trio section where he slows down considerably - an interesting touch. Well-paced fourth movement, again with good horn balances in the last big statement of the main theme. This performance is much better than his last one with the Chicago, which in my opinion, was a sodden mess. This is my "desert island" "Eroica".The seventh is just as good, but regrettably, Solti takes NONE of the repeats. I consider the seventh to be the toughest of Beethoven's symphonies to bring off, because if the execution isn't spot-on, it sounds frantic and driven, especially in the outer movements. But here, Solti and the Viennese shine. The last movement is a whirlwind, but it never sounds pushed or breathless, because the execution is breathtaking - listen to the violins playing the turning figure in the coda's big buildup just before the end. The only comparable execution I've ever heard in Beethoven is also a Vienna production - Carlos Kleiber's fabled DGG performance of the fifth. Solti's fifth doesn't match Kleiber's (who does?); it's perfectly serviceable, with a menacing third movement and wonderful heft and presence in the basses. But the brasses are oddly subdued, and the second movement just never seems to get into gear. Great execution, but it fails my ultimate test of performances of this symphony: it doesn't leave me with goosebumps.Serviceable sound; solid but no sonic blockbuster. But the musical thrills these performances give more than make up for it. It's great to have these wonderful performances back, sounding better than ever."