Search - Willem Mengelberg :: Mengelberg Conducts Beethoven - Symphonies no 1, 3-6 & 8

No more cookie-cutter Beethoven!

Ralph J. Steinberg | New York, NY United States | 07/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being that there are so many faceless and characterless Beethoven sets on the CD market today, this set comes as a refreshing reminder of the days when interpreters were INVOLVED with the music they played! Yes, these are individualistic performances, but as in the case of Furtwaengler, this is the work of a thinker, a seeker who is not afraid of personal committment to the works he performs. And in fact, all of his tempo modifications seem to naturally arise from the ebb and flow of the music itself, rather than being imposed upon it. I find these Telefunken renditions much superior both in sound and in interpretation to the live Beethoven recordings on Music and Arts (formerly on Philips), which seemed unnatural and mannered in comparison to the smooth integration of tempi on the Pearl set. If you listen to this set at one sitting, I suggest you save the "Eroica" for the last, as this is one of the two or three greatest accounts of the score. By contrast, his older version with the NY Philharmonic on Biddulph sounds hopelessly stodgy, and the sound on that recording is wretchedly poor. The whole Pearl set is a real treasure, and here's hoping that the rest of Mengelberg's Telefunken recordings find their way to CD."

Unique and gripping

Ralph J. Steinberg | 03/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mengelberg is sometimes guilty of "changements" in his interpretations. But he invariably delivers. His Beethoven Symphonies set (excluding the 9th)is in remarkably clear sound for prewar recordings - thanks to Obert-Thorn whose only rival is probably Marston. Mengelberg`s tempos are generally brisk and intense. Mostly,he is faithful to the printed score. But he does take liberties. He is less expansive than Klemperer but he does succeed convincingly with such a well-trained orchestra which he ruled for 50 years!This CD set together with the currently available Music & Arts 9th Symphony and 5th/6th on Teldec are highly recommended. But beware that the latter Teldec 5th is from 1942 and not 1937 according to the liner notes in this Pearl set."