Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Bruno Weil, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 (CD + DVD)

Chamber orchestra Beethoven beautifully played

E. Davis | Bloomfield, NJ USA | 08/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With our modern ears and large concert halls, we are used to hearing Beethoven symphonies played by full orchestras, usually about 100 pieces. When I last heard the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, they had 12 cellos and 8 basses. Tafelmusic, the Canadian baroque orchestra, plays with four cellos and 3 basses. That should tell you quite a lot.



This is a brave and very risky enterprise, somewhat akin to swimming upstream. Not only do Tafelmusic negotiate these waters well, they actually triumph. The great advantage of hearing this music with smaller forces is that the listener is able to experience the clarity of individual sections as well as specific instruments. Of course, there is a corresponding disadvantage and that is that performances such as these often lack weight and power.



Conductor Weil has chosen brisk tempos in the fast movements, but seems a bit too fast for my taste in the second movement of the Eighth symphony. I think he misses the charm and humor of this movement. But he makes up for the lapse in the beautiful second movement of the Seventh symphony. Other than this caveat, the playing is splendid throughout, but the upper strings sometime seem a little thin. Tafelmusic, without saying it specifically, is saying that this is the way that Beethoven might have heard his music played (assuming he could hear). Well...maybe. The winds and brass sections play on period instruments (wooden flutes, horns without valves), but the string players seem to be using steel strings with modern bows. Unfortunately, the booklet is so skimpy (with such tiny type) that there is no mention of the instruments, strings, bows or the pitch used. Frankly, the booklet is truly an embarrassment to a fine recording.



Listeners who are not used to hearing music from this period played by chamber orchestras may need repeated hearings to adjust. Once they do, I think they will like what they hear. Despite my enthusiasm for this release, I am not yet ready to abandon my recordings by the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, or my recording of the Seventh symphony by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bernstein.



The bonus DVD shows Weil conducting the orchestra in two movements from each symphony. There is also some rehearsal footage and comments from members of the orchestra and conductor Weil."