Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Charles Mackerras, Catherine Wyn-Rogers :: The Beethoven Symphonies Live from The Edinburgh Festival [Box Set]

If you want to know why Beethoven's audiences applauded afte

Dmitry Portnoy | Studio City, CA United States | 09/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In recordings by Klemperer and Furtwangler, Beethoven speaks to the infinite. In these live recordings by Mackerras, Beethoven speaks directly to you. Not everything he has to say is profound: there are plenty of jokes, rants, temper tantrums, hiccups, even farts. But he is never, not for a minute, boring. The symphonies sound as if the ink is still wet on the page, and Mackerras and orchestra give you the full, unedited emotional truth at what sometimes sounds like five hundred beats per minute. But these are the Beethoven's personally specified speeds. I hope at Edinburgh the audience wore seatbelts.



The 5th and the 9th are the pinnacles here, and ironically, it is the slow movements that give the fullest sense of both the breathtaking risks and the astonishing rewards of this remarkable set. There are also plenty moments of pure orchestral magic: the coda of "Eroica's" funeral march, the "storm" of the "Pastorale", the trio of the Seventh, the opening of the 9th. But it is the consistency and commitment of Mackerras's vision, and the bravura of the orchestras meeting his challenge, that make all five and a half hours of this set indispensible. I'll always listen to Kleiber's 4-7th, and will forever be grateful for the insights of Klemperer. But Mackerras's is the best complete recording I've heard since. It is at least the equal of his Janacek operas and the orchestral works of Mozart, and blows all other recent Beethoven efforts (including Gardiner's, Harnancourt's, Haitink's, Rattle's, Abbado's and Mackerras's own earlier studio versions) out of the water.



If Klemperer takes you on a deep sea dive, and Kleiber on a cruise down the rapids, Mackerras throws a bucket of water at your face. You'll want to scream. I think Beethoven would have loved it."

"Music making that penetrates the soul and reminds us what i

Pater Ecstaticus | Norway | 09/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title of my review I have borrowed from Owen E. Walton from his magnificent and highly knowledgable review of these recordings on MusicWeb. I could not resist the impulse to use the words from his review, which so eloquently put down into one sentence the feel and the essence of these performances. These performances in their pure beauty and humanity speak straight to both the heart and the mind.

About the playing-technique, I personally love the way Sir Charles Mackerras allows the strings (almost) no vibrato, resulting in a very homogenous sound, and very pure and authentic(?). Anyway, I really like that 'smooth' vibrato-less sound: to my ears it adds clarity and purity to the overall sound-picture. Another ear-catching characteristic of these performances are the brass, which are very prominent, giving the performances some extra 'bite' and vibrancy. Probably, in line with historically informed performance, the brass are balanced within the orchestral forces in such a way that they sound more 'forward' - more clearly defined - than in other more 'traditional' performances. Also, woodwind and timpani (using hard sticks, I am told) are wonderfully prominent within the sound picture. Actually, all the instrument groups are very evenly balanced throughout all the recordings. That there are less string instruments in this chamber orchestra than with traditional recordings which use a full symphony orchestra also has to do with this, I guess(?).

Speeds are generally lively and swift, which, along with the freshness of instrumental sounds and the fine natural balances, give these performances a very fresh and energetic, but at the same time, to my ears at least, intimate feel. Why intimate? Maybe because of the relatively small orchestral forces that certainly produce a sound that is not as massive as a full modern symphony orchestra (but certainly as colorful and as powerful!), but also because of the result of the moulding of orchestral sounds and balances by an intelligent conductor of the highest artistic integrity who has made the Beethoven symphonies 'his own' over many years. In that sense too, the cover art is just wonderful: a beautifully intimate painting of a sympathetic Sir Charles sitting in his study, looking out at us from over his study-score, inviting us to come and listen to (and maybe comment on ;) his take on Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonies.

These are invigorating, pure performances from beginning to end. They will grow on you more and more as you listen to them again and again and again ... Along with the latest released cycles by Claudio Abbado (Berliner Philharmoniker) and Bernard Haitink (London Symphony Orchestra) and many others, this is surely one of the greatest Beethoven cycles ever recorded. For what it is worth, I very highly recommend these recordings by one of the truly great conductors of our time.

"

Wow!

Michael Capizzi | Illinois, USA | 03/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must leave it to others to provide technical reviews. Even after fifty yearsof listening to classical music I cannot do it. But I can tell you when a recording is good. And this cycle is the best thing to happen to classical music is my lifetime. I grew up on, and love, the slower-temo monumental interpretations of Walter, Karajon and Klemperer. They are the foundation of my music collection. But this cycle brings a new energy to the music and thrusts it firmly into the twenty-first century. The smaller-sized chamber orchestra used in symphonies on through eight brings a lighter, sleek sound that somehow seems to fit naturally alongside the mighty sounds of the full-sized orchestras on earlier interpretations. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra plays this music with great aplomb and flair which brings life to their highest order technical proficiency. Each note is played to razor sharp brilliance. One only has to listen to the fourth movement of the seventh symphony to appreciate and sum up this cycle. I try not to be overtaken by excesses of expression, but I was truly "on the edge of my seat". I cannot remember becoming so excited about any music playing. And that excitement is maintained throughout the cycle. Clearly this is a new standard by which to judge Beethoven's symphonies. No matter that one may find something to complain about in this cycle. The music itself is so ingrained in our consciuosness that everyone will have a favorite part that is not given their preferred treatment. But those complaints, if they existed at all, would be so minor when compared to the incredible amount of great music-making obtained. Marvelously played and engineered, this cycle is a masterpiece. Buy it! It belongs in every music ollection."