Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Beethoven: The Symphonies [Box Set]

Solti's Beethoven - a curate's egg

Mr Darcy | Australia | 11/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This set of Beethoven's nine symphonies was recorded in the early 1970s, not long after Solti became chief conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The set has been released to honour the 10th anniversary of the conductor's death.



The recordings are the same as those in the Decca Collectors edition (with Beethoven's portrait on the front), except there are some differences: the splitting of individual symphonies over cds has been eradicated; the set contains a bonus cd with Solti discussing his approach to the symphonies with William Mann (from the original vinyl release); and, apparently, the sound has been newly remastered. On the question of sound, I cannot comment on whether there is an improvement over the previous Collectors edition, as I do not own that edition. However, there is really nothing to complain about for early 70s analogue - it is has the full and vibrant quality one expects of Decca. All recordings were made in the Medinah Temple, except the 9th (Krannert Centre, University of Illinois) and 6th and 7th (Sofiensaal, Vienna). The different venues do not have a significant impact on the overall quality and character of the sound. Solti observes all repeats.



In his conversation with Mann, Solti tells us that Toscanini and Furtwangler were the key formative influences on his approach to the Beethoven symphonies. Initially a Toscanini "addict" who was contemptuous of Furtwangler's treatment of Beethoven, Solti began to appreciate the German conductor's interpretive style - Solti came into personal contact with Furtwangler and a performance by the latter of the Beethoven 9th in Munich left a deep impression. In Solti's view, the "truth" lies somewhere between the Toscanini and Furtwangler poles, and, in this Beethoven project, he seeks to present that truth.



It's this part of the conversation - more than anything Solti has to say about the individual symphonies - that reveals most what Solti is on about in these performances and accounts for the mixture of broad tempos and incisive rhythms. I'm not sure that it's a marriage that Solti quite manages to bring off, and after listening to these performances I was left with the impression that an experiment had been conducted rather than the realisation of a fully formed and deeply felt conception.



I won't go through the performance of each Symphony in detail, but rather provide a few impressions. What sticks in the mind after listening to symphonies 1 and 2 are the outer movements which have a fair degree of energy, conveyed as much by crisp articulation and strong accenting of rhythms as Solti's chosen tempos which are not particularly controversial. Solti overdoes the whiplash accenting in the 1st's Adagio molto - allegro con brio, which in his hands struggles to retain a semblance of charm. A comparison with Szell in this work is revealing, for while Szell was never noted for his warmth and his approach like that of Solti shows the strong influence of Toscanini, he phrases more elegantly and is not hard driven. Solti sees the 2nd as a considerably bigger work, most notably demonstrated in the Larghetto which he takes very slowly. However, the overriding impression left by Solti's account of this emotional peak is one of heaviness. It's not just a matter of tempo, however. Bruno Walter, in his recording with the Columbia Symphony, expends 14'32 over the Larghetto (compared with Solti's 13'34), and yet manages to make it sing more naturally. On the whole, Wand, Szell, Dohnanyi (more so for the 2nd than the 1st) or Walter are more convincing exponents of these two symphonies.



The 3rd, 5th and 7th symphonies are probably the most conducive to Solti's expansive yet bold approach and, for that reason, prove to be the most successful. The Allegro con brio of the 3rd is taken very spaciously, in the manner of Furtwangler or Klemperer. Crisp attack and strong rhythms help to make it an imposing affair and prevent it from sagging. The Marcia funebre is also done on a big scale - more majestic than tragic. In the 5th, the Allegro con brio is delivered with such vehemence that one hardly misses a faster tempo. The Andante con moto is slowish but still flows nicely and, in the Allegro - presto, Solti emphasises joy and high spirits. In the 7th, Solti's speeds are unexceptional and, again, sharp but not brutal attack combine with the easy unforced brilliance of the playing to produce an exuberant result. Only the allegretto of this performance disappointed me slightly because of a lack of inwardness, although Solti's approach to the opening minutes of this movement is quite distinctive, the march rhythm given a relentless quality.



The outer movements of the 4th move along at a fair pace and are once again characterised by razor sharp accenting. While it would be simplistic to describe the 4th as genial, its character is not so amenable to such aggressive, punchy playing. It's this aspect, when combined with a slow movement paying homage to Furtwangler, which again exemplifies the seemingly experimental nature of the music making. Solti's overly serious approach to the main melody of the slow movement erodes its simple lyricism; the insistent rocking accompaniment which starts the movement in the second violins and maintains a presence throughout is also given rather heavy treatment. Karajan or Wand, for example, are more persuasive in this work.



The 6th is decent but some distance from being a first choice. In the Scene by the Brook, for example, the Chicago players play with great refinement, but the phrasing is bland. At such a slow tempo, something more is needed to captivate the listener's attention. Other conductors have been more evocative, more expressive and imaginitive in their use of rubato at similarly slow speeds (Klemperer, Reiner and Bohm come to mind, and especially Erich Kleiber whose rendition of this movement with the Concertgebouw from 1953 is a miracle of flexibility within a very slow steady pulse). In the Shepherd's Song, Solti doesn't convey a strong sense of calm and radiance. Just listen to the opening minutes and compare with the above mentioned conductors or even the 1970s recording of Karajan, who is hardly noted for his warmth in this work.



Solti's first movement of the 8th is purposeful, but he is certainly not as exciting as Karajan or as exhilarating as Wand. Nonetheless, he gets the horns to cut through vibrantly towards the conclusion. Inner movements are fine and, in the final movement, Solti is also firm, but lacking in sparkle and wit compared with, say, Wand or Abbado (BPO - Rome).



In his interview, Solti warns against taking the first movement of the 9th too slowly because of the risk of it falling apart. On first listening, I indeed felt that Solti had fallen into this trap, but subsequent listenings have led me to reassess somewhat. Solti maintains a firm grip on this massive structure, and his performance is notable for its rugged power. Nonetheless, Giulini's performance with the Berlin Philharmonic, done at a similar tempo, is more convincing in connecting one paragraph to the next to establish a seamless whole. The remainder of Solti's performance of the 9th is impressive. The scherzo is one of the best I have heard, displaying tremendous bite, and the finale is strong and forthright, with impressive solists. The adagio molto e cantabile is very broad, and this will not appeal to some. However, if it's hushed solemnity that you seek, rest assured that Solti delivers in spades - although, again, Giulini, whose tempo is also broad but slightly more flowing, is the more successful in conveying this very quality whilst retaining the cantabile quality of the music."

Solti's "Via Media" Approach to Beethoven is Worth Hearing

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 11/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Of Sir Georg Solti's two Beethoven cycles with the CSO, the better by far is the first, reissued here in a newly remastered edition commemorating the tenth anniversary of Solti's death. By the early 1970's, when these recordings were made, Solti had moderated his volatile temperament sufficiently to be able to project the lofty qualities in Beethoven's music. The slow movements are far more reflective than one might have expected from this conductor. The one in the Ninth Symphony, for instance, conveys a sense of rapt solemnity that recalls Furtwängler at his best (though with superior sound, of course, and more alert playing than the latter achieved in his famous live Bayreuth performance, reissued on EMI). In general Solti combines Furtwänglerian weight with Toscaninian dynamism--an approach to Beethoven which will strike some listeners as "the best of both worlds" and others as an uneasy compromise. I vacillate between these two opinions, sometimes within the compass of a single symphony. For example, I found the first movement of the *Eroica* far too slow and ponderous, while the Funeral March struck me as one of the most gripping I have ever heard. The best performances in the set are 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. The Seventh, in particular, is quite thrilling--the combination of weight and dynamism works especially well in this symphony; the dancelike aspects of the music are not compromised by the fundamental seriousness of Solti's conception. The Ninth, too, is splendid, with (as indicated above) a sublime traversal of the slow movement and a stirring, beautifully sung finale. The Second must rank with Bernstein/DG as one of the most vibrant accounts ever recorded. The "Pastoral" is more genial than one would have expected from Solti, but one misses the authentic Austrian lilt of Böhm, or the rich lyricism of Walter. On the other hand, I appreciate the rhythmic vitality Solti brings to a work which, in lesser performances, can seem too languid by half. I also enjoyed the spectacular horn playing in the Peasant's Merrymaking and subsequent Storm episode. The First receives some admirably crisp playing, at snappy tempos, though in the end I find Solti's approach too portentous for a work which clearly harks back to Haydn. The Eighth could use an infusion of Beethovenian "unbuttoned" humor, but is otherwise appropriately incisive and well played.



Overall, I enjoyed these performances more than I expected to, and in the case of the Second, Seventh and Ninth thought that Solti achieved something like greatness. His later, digital cycle seems altogether at lower voltage, while his earliest versions of 3, 5 and 7 with the VPO (recently reissued by Decca) are too frenetic. The first CSO Beethoven cycle is the one to have, then, if you're interested in hearing Solti's distinctive *via media* in Beethoven. The playing of the CSO is glorious throughout and though the sonics are more variable than we would expect from Decca/London (largely due to the vicissitudes of the recording venues, especially the notoriously difficult acoustic of the Medinah Temple in Chicago), the sound is never less than acceptable and frequently excellent.



Though I would not rank this set alongside Karajan's justly famous 1963 cycle, or the recently reissued Bernstein/Vienna (DG), I can imagine listeners who want to hear a great American orchestra in this repertoire finding Solti/CSO more than satisfactory."

A Beethoven Cycle That Wears Well

Music Is Everything | Colorado Springs, CO USA | 04/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the latest incarnation of Solti's first Beethoven symphony cycle with the Chicago Symphony, recorded in the early 1970s. Despite Decca's claim, I can hear no obvious remastering, but remastering wasn't required, as this is a well-recorded and beautifully performed cycle. In this edition, the symphonies are not split between discs and there is an extra CD interviewing Solti about his approach to Beethoven, which is rather purist. He doesn't reorchestrate anything, takes every repeat, and religiously follows all dynamics and other markings. This alone makes the cycle worthwhile, since you don't feel like you're experiencing Beethoven through someone else's thick lense. On top of that, we have the Chicago Symphony at its height and with something to prove, and Solti's trademark sense of structure and timing. All things considered, this cycle wears extremely well over time and, along with Blomstedt's cycle with Dresden, remains one of my favorite sets of Beethoven symphonies."