Title : Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 9/Overtures
Author : Beethoven, Ludwig van
Release Date : 19950411
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $14.98
(17
%) VISIT AMAZON.COM'S PAGE
Editorial Reviews : This is one of the greatest recordings of the famous Ninth Symphony. It has long been overshadowed by Karajan's three recordings for the same label, as well as Bernstein's version with the same orchestra. But put them all on your CD player and compare, and this is the one you'll be coming back to. Böhm was the least glamorous of conductors, but he approaches the Ninth with messianic zeal and a fanatical gleam in his eye. The opening movement is a cataclysm, the sublime slow movement never loses its contemplative flow, and everyone involved simply sings and plays the pants off of the finale. If the final minute or two doesn't pull you right out of your seat, nothing will. Grab it while you can at this 'twofer' price. It's a steal.
Buyer Reviews : I have returned to Karl Bohm's Beethoven cycle with a new appreciation. Previously, I thought it lacked excitement, and with the notable exception of the Sixth, was inferior to Karajan's 1962 cycle. It's true, Karajan is at his best in these two works-- the Third and Ninth. His sweeping, Toscanini-like approach and the gorgeous playing of the Berlin Philharmonic are hard to beat. However, Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic give us clearer, sturdier performances in more naturally recorded sound. While Karajan's soloists in the Ninth are better-- especially golden-voiced Gundula Janowitz over Gwyneth Jones-- it is Bohm who allows the chorus to be heard through the thick of strings and brass. The 'Funeral March' of the Third is more dramatic in the hands of Karajan, but his outer movements are sometimes mushy and almost crude in comparison to Bohm. For instance, the timpani of the VPO have a crisper tone, and one can hear the orchestra top to bottom, whereas the first violins of Karajan's BPO tend to dominate at all times. Bohm has plenty of fire, but it is the inner kind that he created so often in Mozart and Wagner, whereas Karajan has a Napoleonic larger-than-life quality that goes well with Beethoven's symphonies. Personally, I wouldn't want to be without either approach. But to boil it down to a simple choice-- if you want excitement, go for Karajan; if you want clarity, try Bohm.
