Beethoven: Symphonies

Beethoven's symphonies: the rediscovered frontier

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 ...

berlioz 16.04.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 (London Classical Players) - Sir Roger Norrington

Beethoven's music as he should have heard it.

Advantages: Outstanding music on period instruments
Disadvantages: Swaping C.D'S in music player.

The 9 symphonies by Ludwig Van Beethoven. (1770 - 1827) Performed by The London Classical Players. Conducted by Sir Roger Norrington. With the Schutz choir of London. Not everybody likes classical music. Even those who do, do not all like the same things. This boxed set of CD's if different from previous recordings. Firstly, it is played on period instruments. This is not to everybody?s taste. These instruments are not like today?s instruments. For instance, the violin has a cleaner but more plaintive tone. The woodwinds each has a colour and clarity of tone that blends to a harmonious whole. The timpani, those smaller drums, are hit with hard sticks more reminiscent of military drum sounds. The horn section has a different feel to it. Considering the lapse of some 184 years, it would be strange if the sounds ...

Coloneljohn 04.12.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 (London Classical Players) - Sir Roger Norrington

A complete musical universe of their own

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 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 ...

JOHNV 30.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Beethoven: Symphonies