Favorite Beethoven Ninth Symphony?

CanadianMaestro · « **on:** 26 Apr 2016, 11:24 am »

The 9th probably is the most famous symphony ever written. It's certainly performed (over-performed?) and recorded a lot.

What is your ONE favorite recording of the Ninth?

Furtwangler? Fricsay? Walter? Bernstein (which one)? Karajan (ditto)? Or Toscanini, Harnoncourt? Hogwood? So many.

Please chime in.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 11:51 am »

Karajan is a land mark in Beethoven, he turn his music in a cosmic sound not the little Sunday afternoon small town bandstand of Fritz Reiner.
Currently Bertrand de Billy is my favorite for Eroica, great recording:
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/4357

Todd_A · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 01:34 pm »

Charles Munch.

dex67 · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 02:22 pm »

Furtwangler 1942 recording...

dflee · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 04:10 pm »

Listen to Karajan and Hogwood. Like Karajan for his passion, Hogwood for 428. Enjoy Solti
for the way he makes it pleasurable to hear. But nothing compares to seeing it performed
live by the Handel and Hayden Symphony.

Don

S Clark · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 04:55 pm »

The London Phase 4 recordings get a lot of bad press about "unnatural" sound, but they are dynamic!
This just may be my favorite.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 07:52 pm »

Quote from: S Clark on 26 Apr 2016, 04:55 pm

The London Phase 4 recordings get a lot of bad press about "unnatural" sound, but they are dynamic!
This just may be my favorite.

Nice cover, its a cover suited to a jazz music album.

rklein · « **Reply #7 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 09:08 pm »

George Szell conducting The Cleveland Orchestra

md92468 · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 10:24 pm »

Quote from: rklein on 26 Apr 2016, 09:08 pm

George Szell conducting The Cleveland Orchestra

My favorite as well...

adminRH · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Apr 2016, 11:43 pm »

Minnesota Orchestra with Osmo Vanksa, cond. on BIS, on hybrid CD/SACD is the best of the modern recordings imo.

I want literal intepretations, no schlocky romantic 1950s ritardandos. I want clean precise performance, the whole orchestra knows where the beat is. I want steady, appropriate tempi, and a confident but conservative conductor. I want modern high quality digital recording and BIS is an audiophile quality label, these are hybrid CD/SACD, maybe surround? idk I listen to the BIS Beethoven cycle nearly every day since they were released. I bought them one by one as they were released, but now you can by the cycle in a box all at once. Fantastic! Crank it up on big speakers - it will leave a mark.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 12:06 am »

Quote from: adminRH on 26 Apr 2016, 11:43 pm

Minnesota Orchestra with Osmo Vanksa, cond. on BIS, on hybrid CD/SACD is the best of the modern recordings imo.

I want literal intepretations, no schlocky romantic 1950s ritardandos. I want clean precise performance, the whole orchestra knows where the beat is. I want steady, appropriate tempi, and a confident but conservative conductor. I want modern high quality digital recording and BIS is an audiophile quality label, these are hybrid CD/SACD, maybe surround? idk I listen to the BIS Beethoven cycle nearly every day since they were released. I bought them one by one as they were released, but now you can by the cycle in a box all at once. Fantastic! Crank it up on big speakers - it will leave a mark.

This SACD from BIS is Stereo and MC according this site, BIS already recorded in DSD64 and fall down to record everything in 24/44, this symphonies cicle are from that sad era, now they upgraded to 24/96. Osmo Vänskä is a conductor know by his boldness in fast tempos, see the reviews from Akiralx and Cellophile:
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/4136

rotarius · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 03:34 am »

Hard to beat Karajan here. Karl Bohm/Vienna is fantastic as well but Vanska/Minnesota..hell no! Nice sound but not really exciting, pretty vanilla imo. If you like your Beethoven fast and choppy, Zinman on Arte Nova is better.

Tyson · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 03:49 am »

Quote from: md92468 on 26 Apr 2016, 10:24 pm

My favorite as well...

Szell/Cleveland is mine too. Wish they would re-master his whole set in hirez.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 11:16 am »

Quote from: rotarius on 27 Apr 2016, 03:34 am

Hard to beat Karajan here. Karl Bohm/Vienna is fantastic as well but Vanska/Minnesota..hell no! Nice sound but not really exciting, pretty vanilla imo.

I'm with you on the Vanska. I didn't last 30 minutes.

The ones I come back to are: (no order here)

Karajan 1977
Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin (sonics are sumptuous and vocals too)
Szell/Clev
Abbado/Berlin/Live Salzburg

In Hi-Rez for amazing clean sound 96/24, live SF Symphony/Tilson-Thomas

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 11:50 am »

I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned Furtwangler's two later recordings, at Lucerne Fest, and at Bayreuth.

rklein · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 Apr 2016, 01:18 pm »

Quote from: Tyson on 27 Apr 2016, 03:49 am

Szell/Cleveland is mine too. Wish they would re-master his whole set in hirez.

+1....I have the original boxed set in vinyl that I bought back in the 70's. If I looked hard, I could probably find enough 40 year old pot crumbs in the jacket crevices to roll a joint!

rpf · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 Apr 2016, 03:54 am »

Yes, Furtwangler at Lucerne. Bohm/VPO.

HsvHeelFan · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 May 2016, 05:27 am »

How about none of them? I'm so done with Beethoven's Ninth. If I had to hear it it would be Herbert Von Karajan and Berlin.

I'm also done with 1812. I don't care to ever play 1812 again. I've played it a lot over the years. It's just cheesy now a days.

My favorite Beethoven Symphony is the 6th.

HsvHeelFan

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 May 2016, 06:03 am »

Quote from: HsvHeelFan on 6 May 2016, 05:27 am

How about none of them? I'm so done with Beethoven's Ninth. If I had to hear it it would be Herbert Von Karajan and Berlin.

I'm also done with 1812. I don't care to ever play 1812 again. I've played it a lot over the years. It's just cheesy now a days.

My favorite Beethoven Symphony is the 6th.

HsvHeelFan

What no Eroica! Try the Egmont Overture after the 1812:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsI0yTC7bic
I like Lorin Maazel he has a modern regency and musically satisfy completely.

Tyson · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 May 2016, 06:08 am »

Quote from: HsvHeelFan on 6 May 2016, 05:27 am

How about none of them? I'm so done with Beethoven's Ninth. If I had to hear it it would be Herbert Von Karajan and Berlin.

I'm also done with 1812. I don't care to ever play 1812 again. I've played it a lot over the years. It's just cheesy now a days.

My favorite Beethoven Symphony is the 6th.

HsvHeelFan

My favorite is the 7th.