Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Jascha Horenstein, Vienna Pro Musica Symphony :: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Hooked on Horenstein

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jascha Horenstein was a brilliant conductor, who was too often neglected in his own time and still is today. Hopefully his numerous reissues on the Vox Legends label will go a long way to remedying that problem. This CD finds Horenstein conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Pro Musica Symphony Vienna in a late mono recording from 1956. The performance is first rate, and illustrates why serious collectors have praised Horenstein's albums for years. Newcomers should look elsewhere for their initial copy of Beethoven's Ninth -- an excellent choice is the stereo budget line title by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra on Sony Essential Classics. But those looking for multiple recordings of the Ninth, or who are interested in owning a Horenstein title, this is a great place to start. All of his Vox Legends recordings are very affordable (at or just above the standard budget prices) so be prepared to get hooked on Horenstein as I have, and purchase several or all of his nearly 20 offerings on the label."

Horenstein's Ninth is a Performance of Stature

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 12/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Among Horenstein's Vox recordings from the early LP era, this performance of Beethoven's Ninth deserves pride of place. Though the orchestral and choral forces--probably an ad hoc group assembled for this recording-- are hardly competitive with, say, Karajan's BPO, they acquit themselves splendidly on this occasion. The wind playing is particularly characterful, the brass are incisive, and the strings, though somewhat thin-sounding, play with good ensemble. The soloists in the finale are first-rate, though the choral singing is a bit foggy (partially due to the monaural recording). But it is Horenstein's genius that galvanizes these disparate elements into a performance of real stature. The first movement is terrifically exciting, building to a shattering climax with the inexorable death-march that introduces the coda. The scherzo is light, crisply articulated, with timpani cutting through the texture in just the right way. The slow movement is elysian until the great, stentorian summons toward the end, which Horenstein takes in a curiously clipped manner--effective in a startling way (it certainly comes like a bolt out of the blue), even if one wouldn't always want to hear it done that way. The finale is presented with something like an ideal combination of exuberance and discipline; no particular musical incident threatens to overwhelm the whole--but every episode is integrated into the seamless fabric that Beethoven clearly intended (even if that fabric gets rent in a great many performances).



The monaural sound is pretty good; plenty of impact (particularly from the timpani--but that's a Horenstein trademark), clearly delineated textures, woodwinds much in evidence though never obtrusively so. As indicated, the strings sound a bit scrawny at times, but the brass are appropriately balanced so as not to obscure key contrapuntal detail in other sections of the orchestra.



In sum, this is a performance of historical importance, insofar as Horenstein never returned to the studio to record this symphony. A broadcast performance frim the late fifties with the French National Radio Orchestra is available in an multi-disc Horenstein anthology from Music and Arts. That version is arguably finer from an interpretive point of view--indeed, a stunning rendition--despite vagaries of ensemble, and some wayward singing. But you have to purchase an expensive box in order to hear it, and the sound quality is well below that on this Vox production. If you are a Horenstein admirer, don't hesitate to acquire this modestly priced CD; you will not be disappointed. If you are unfamiliar with Horenstein's work, then this is a good place to begin. Like the other Amazon reviewer of this disc, you may become "hooked on Horenstein.""