Ludwig Van Beethoven Münchner Philharmoniker The Nine Symphonies

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonies No. 4 & No. 5 - Nikolaus Harnoncourt (2016) {Sony Classical 88875136452}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 324 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 165 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 109 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 Sony Classical | 88875136452
Classical / Symphony

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his period orchestra, Concentus Musicus Wien, never recorded a complete cycle of the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, and this 2016 Sony release is their only recording of the Symphony No. 4 in B flat major and the Symphony No. 5 in C minor, made almost ten months before the conductor's death. Harnoncourt planned for this to be his last recording before his retirement, so it inevitably has the feeling of a valedictory performance, and one can also hear it as the orchestra's warm tribute to its leader and his sterling musicianship.

The Philharmonia Orchestra was in superb form in the autumn of 1957 when the opportunity came for it to perform all nine Beethoven symphonies, plus the five piano concertos, in a series of 10 concerts at London's Royal Festival Hall under the baton of Otto Klemperer. Credit for that certainly should go to Herbert von Karajan, who had been the orchestra's principal conductor since its founding a decade earlier, and had recently been tapped by the Berlin Philharmonic as its conductor for life.

One of the most fascinating recording projects of this period was Sir Roger Norrington's pioneering set of Beethoven symphonies with The London Classical Players. Here at long last–after a century and a half of neglect–was a conductor bravely determined to conduct these symphonies according to Beethoven's difficult metronome markings, and as played on the original instruments that Beethoven had composed for–that is, the very sounds that he must have had in his mind when he wrote this music down. Norrington astutely saw that Beethoven's original brass and percussion instruments play a crucially prominent role in these symphonies, and most importantly, that they cannot be tempered without diminishing the passionate intensity of the music itself.

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works (including the celebrated Missa Solemnis), and songs.

The Ninth makes for a strong conclusion to the set, but it perhaps lacks the grandeur of more traditional performances. It's powerful, meticulously prepared, and deeply committed, but it doesn't belong in the mighty Klemperer-Karajan dynasty. That will be a plus point to some, and a minus point to others. The young-sounding soloists are excellent as a quartet, especially the soprano, but aren't ideal in their solo numbers: the tenor sounds breathless and lightweight at Zinman's pace, and the bass is hardly commanding enough at his entry to be credible as a silencer of the orchestra's din. The chorus is excellent.

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
Beethoven Orchester Bonn / Stefan Blunier
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,23 GB | 24Bit/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 985 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Gold" # 937 1756-6 | Country/Year: Germany 2012
Genre: Classical | Style: Classical Period, Symphony

…While purists may still take issue with the use of modern instruments, the large size of the orchestra, and a few minor issues, even they will recognize that Blunier has learned a great deal from the early music camp and that his interpretations are intelligent and insightful. They also have an appealing warmth that is sometimes lacking in versions with original instruments, and the vigorous playing certainly keeps the music from seeming fussy or sterile. 4,5/5 ~AMG

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
Beethoven Orchester Bonn / Stefan Blunier
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 241 MB | Full Artwork: 100 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Gold" # 937 1756-6 | Country/Year: Germany 2012
Genre: Classical | Style: Classical Period, Symphony

…While purists may still take issue with the use of modern instruments, the large size of the orchestra, and a few minor issues, even they will recognize that Blunier has learned a great deal from the early music camp and that his interpretations are intelligent and insightful. They also have an appealing warmth that is sometimes lacking in versions with original instruments, and the vigorous playing certainly keeps the music from seeming fussy or sterile. 4,5/5 ~AMG

The release of Bernard Haitink's new cycle of the Beethoven symphonies was one of the most talked about classical events of 2006. Over recent years many people had questioned whether another complete set of Beethoven's symphonies would ever be recorded. But Haitink's revelatory recordings have demonstrated why fresh new interpretations of Beethoven's music are so important and why the composer's music is still so relevant today.

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 & Symphony No. 1
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen · Paavo Järvi
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 235 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Red Seal # 88697338352 | Country/Year: Europe 2008
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School

…Unless you are wedded to Furtwängler and his Romantic view of Beethoven (including heavily doctored re-scoring and alteration of dynamics), do audition this wonderful disc.