A Recommendation on Beethoven's 9th Symphony
The best performance and recording--by far--that I've ever heard of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 was conducted by Richard Edlinger and performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic in September 1988. This recording has been published as Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 'Choral' (Naxos 8.550181), and in the five-CD sets Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Complete) (Lydian 18501), and Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Complete) (Amadis 7501). (Amadis is the current budget-brand of Naxos, and was formerly under the name Lydian. These two five-CD sets are apparently identical, as far as the actual recordings go.) This is an all-digital recording (stereo, DDD). This recording has also appeared in various other Naxos sets.
I own Naxos 8.550181, which is no longer in print. But this recording is the fith CD in the Lydian 18501 and Amadis 7501 sets, of which I see that the Lydian 18501 set seems to be the one currently available from online stores. I do not own nor have I listened to the other recordings in these sets, but going based only on this recording of the 9th Symphony, I can emphatically recommend and indeed urge that people get this set (all the more since the entire set is going for the price of a single typically-priced CD).
Beethoven is my favorite composer, and I've been collecting recordings of his 9th Symphony since my early teens (I'm currently 28 years of age). Beethoven's 9th Symphony is my single favorite piece of music. Currently I only own five different performances and recordings of the 9th Symphony, although previously I've owned quite a number more. Besides Naxos 8.550181, I also currently own the recordings of Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting the Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele on July 29, 1951 (mono, ADD, EMI 5 66953 2), and Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker in October 1962 (stereo, ADD, Deutsche Grammophone 447 401-2), among others.
But of all the many different performances of Beethoven's 9th Symphony that I've listened to in great detail, none have I found that come anywhere close to the competency, grace, grandeur, and emotional power of the performance given by Richard Edlinger and the Zagreb Philharmonic. It makes all the other recordings of the 9th Symphony that I've heard figuratively seem like jerry-built contraptions hobbled together with duct tape and Bondo by comparison, i.e., an attempt at something that they didn't have the resources (i.e., skill) available to do right; or even more often, straining at trying to achieve a goal without knowing how to do it.
Whereas the prowess and the intellectual and emotional command of the material displayed by Richard Edlinger and the Zagreb Philharmonic on this recording is breathtaking--as if they have untold skill in reserve and are just having fun toying with us puny humans. Never do they come to a passage wherein it seems as if they're lost and don't know what they're doing. From the first sound of the first movement to the last in the fourth movement, it feels as if every sound takes its place and truly belongs, with no sound seeming out of place. And every passage is performed at a tempo which makes it lock into the entire movement, forming a seamlessly coherent whole. The result conveyed is a masterfully articulate performance wherein the masters know precisely, exactly what it is that they are doing at every moment, and execute their intention just as they had wanted; moreover, that Richard Edlinger and the Zagreb Philharmonic have an exceedingly profound understanding of what it takes to make every passage, every note, every vocal utterance fit perfectly within the entirety of this work.
While all the movements on this recording are performed with this phenomenal adroitness and deep comprehension, most stunning of all is the fourth movement, especially the choral performance. The vocals come through loud, clear and awesomely beautiful. One can actually hear the words pronounced, instead of being a muddled mess like on a number of recordings of the 9th Symphony. The hormonics created by the choir are heavenly, as if a host of radiant angels had just descended from paradise, bringing with them, in song, otherworldly and divine music. Never have I heard the choral arrangements of the 9th Symphony performed with such poised competency as on this recording.
Now I say the foregoing based solely on the actual performance, and not the technical quality of the recording medium or the conditions under which it was obtained. But when we come to the fidelity of the actual recording, this performance has been superbly, exquisitely captured. Although the printed material that came with my CD doesn't say, based just on listening to the recording, I take it that it's a studio recording, as there are no coughs, sniffles, or other extraneous noises to be found, and indeed no clapping at the end of the fourth movement. And given that no specific day is listed for the performance, I assume it might have been recorded over the course of some days in September 1988, possibly with a number of takes.
If the latter part of the previous sentence is the case, then it somewhat helps in explaining how this masterwork came to be. Although it is the penetrating choices made in how to perform this piece and the sheer skill of its execution which makes it the truly magnificent treasure that it is.
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125
Zagreb Philharmonic
Conductor: Richard Edlinger
Gabriele Lechner, Soprano
Diane Elias, Mezzo-Soprano
Michael Pabst, Tenor
Robert Holzer, Bass
Recorded in Zagreb in September 1988.
All-digital recording (stereo, DDD)
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Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Complete) (Lydian 18501):
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1478736
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...?album_id=2766
http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1196717
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001KPE/
Re: A Recommendation on Beethoven's 9th Symphony
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie Michelle
The best performance and recording--by far--that I've ever heard of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 was conducted by Richard Edlinger and performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic in September 1988.
Excellent review, Jamie! I love Beethoven's 9th, my favorite being one of Wilhelm Furtwängler's (but I don't recall at the moment if it's the 1942 or 1951 version I have--I'll have to dig it out and check). My first serious introduction to the 9th was Karajan's 1962 performance, which I first heard ca. 1968 and which I have on DGG in a boxed set. I also quite enjoy George Szell's performance, though I don't recall the year, and Karl Böhm's 1981 recording, though it's rather lumbering in the final movement as I recall.
I have not heard Richard Edlinger's performance with the Zagreb Philharmonic to my knowledge; I'll have to see about rectifying that oversight.
Re: A Recommendation on Beethoven's 9th Symphony
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecstatic
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie Michelle
The best performance and recording--by far--that I've ever heard of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 was conducted by Richard Edlinger and performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic in September 1988.
Excellent review, Jamie! I love Beethoven's 9th, my favorite being one of Wilhelm Furtwängler's (but I don't recall at the moment if it's the 1942 or 1951 version I have--I'll have to dig it out and check). My first serious introduction to the 9th was Karajan's 1962 performance, which I first heard ca. 1968 and which I have on DGG in a boxed set. I also quite enjoy George Szell's performance, though I don't recall the year, and Karl Böhm's 1981 recording, though it's rather lumbering in the final movement as I recall.
I have not heard Richard Edlinger's performance with the Zagreb Philharmonic to my knowledge; I'll have to see about rectifying that oversight.
I'm glad you liked my review.
