Beethoven's nine symphonies are a complete musical universe of their own. Some of them have naturally impinged on public consciousness more than others. The opening bars of the 5th vied for years with the finale to Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" as probably the most famous classical piece ... Read review
These performances are so terrible that it's hard to believe anyone took them seriously, ... more
even original-instrument enthusiasts. Not only are the balances between the various orchestral sections a mess, and the instruments themselves scrappy sounding beyond belief, they are recorded in a cavernous acoustic that hides what you ought to ear and emphasizes what you shouldn't. Utterly grotesque. --David Hurwitz
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Advantages: The best and most famous symphonies ever Disadvantages: None
Beethoven's nine symphonies are a complete musical universe of their own. Some of them have naturally impinged on public consciousness more than others. The opening bars of the 5th vied for years with the finale to Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" as probably the most famous classical piece ever until the recent vogue for Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", while the 6th ("Pastoral") is so full of light and shade, so many little ... ...out of fashion; and part of the 9th ("Choral") has lived on in various reincarnations. Just listen to the Seekers' "Emerald City" (1967) and Rainbow's "Difficult To Cure" (1981), to take but two examples.
As a personal opinion, I find the 6th the most enjoyable to listen to right through; I was partly brought up on it as a child, and for me it has never lost its magic. But as regards single movements, nothing ... more
Beethoven's nine symphonies are a complete musical universe of their own. Some of them have naturally impinged on public consciousness more than others. The opening bars of the 5th vied for years with the finale to Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" as probably the most famous classical piece ever until the recent vogue for Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", while the 6th ("Pastoral") is so full of light and shade, so many little twists of unforgettable melody, that it has rightly never gone out of fashion; and part of the 9th ("Choral") has lived on in various reincarnations. Just listen to the Seekers' "Emerald City" (1967) and Rainbow's "Difficult To Cure" (1981), to take but two examples. As a personal opinion, I find the 6th the most enjoyable to listen to right through; I was partly brought up on it as a child, and for me it has never lost its magic. But as regards single movements, nothing can compare with the Scherzo Allegro Vivace from the 3rd, in my view the most exhilarating, uplifting piece of classical music ever. Definitely one to turn up to maximum volume as long as nobody else is near enough to protest! But taste is such a personal thing, and there are marvellous little touches in all nine. All of them have a wonderful sense of light and shade; listen to how the grandiose, solemn moods and funeral marches alternate with spry, lively movements that can hardly fail to appeal. The range of Beethoven symphonies available on CD is vast, as you would expect, with various combinations of two on single CDs, or the lot, usually on 5-CD sets. The price differential of the latter, from budget to deluxe, is astonishing. Any megastore classical department, or a brief look at Amazon's website, will show you that you can pay less than £20 or more than £70. Unless you're an impeccably-informed connoisseur, and I for one am not, I'd recommend going for one of the budget-priced ones; it's the same music, after all, though the more expensive ones are bound to have better booklets and packaging. Were there only nine symphonies, you may ask. Nine and a bit, actually. There is also a 'reconstructed' first movement from what scholars have assumed to be his notes and sketches for a 10th, recorded in 1988. Once you've heard the nine, it's worth seeking out.
Advantages: A new way to hear Beethoven Disadvantages: Surpassed by some later period cycles
INTRODUCTION
Beethoven's nine symphonies cover one of the major cornerstones of symphonic literature along with the likes of Haydn, Brahms and Sibelius. Beethoven was born in turbulent times when the common people's dissatisfaction toward the ruling monarchs in Europe was reaching new heights which finally culminated in the French Revolution in 1789. Against this came Beethoven, who was born into a family of musicians in Bonn in 1770. His father wanted to coin in on the child prodigy market created by Mozart whose father had exploited his genius in a similar way. But Beethoven was no Mozart. He wasn't born a child progidy and his performing skills were nowhere near as natural as they were with Mozart. Still he made rapid progress as a piano virtuoso and an amateur composer. He was even supposed to take some lessons with Mozart in Wien ...
Advantages: The music, the chorus, the memorable melody Disadvantages: None
Probably the best symphony in the world (the Carlsberg of symphonies). I can?t imagine how a piece of music of this stature could have been composed by someone who was completely deaf. Genius knows no bounds.
The Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the German City of Bonn and baptised on the 17th December 1770. Amongst his many works, Beethoven composed nine complete symphonies and what is thought to be a tenth which is incomplete.
In 1817 Beethoven accepted an invitation from the Philharmonic Society of London to write two symphonies. He never actually completed these commissions however he was inspired to write the ninth symphony which he completed in1824. In May of the same year the symphony was débuted in Vienna. Beethoven was present at this performance but by this time he was completely deaf. He was seated ...
Advantages: One of Beethoven's finest symphonies. Disadvantages: None from me, but some will say "classical music is boring".
THE END OF AN ERA
1812 can be seen as the markerpoint where Beethoven's middle-period came to an end and his late-period was ushered in. Beethoven's middle-period saw the composer at his most creative high with one masterpiece following the other in rapid succession. The beginning of this period can roughly be timed as starting in 1803 with the appearance of the Third Symphony "Eroica" and the "Kreutzer" sonata. These two works signalled Beethoven distinctly leaving the 18th century Classicism of Haydn and Mozart behind him and taking on a completely new and individual voice. This individuality became more and more apparent in the works that followed: the "Waldstein" and "Appassionata" piano sonatas, the "Razumovski" quartets, the Violin Concerto, the three last cello sonatas, the "Archduke" piano trio, Fidelio, the Fifth and Sixth ...
