Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic :: Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 5; Egmont Overture - Bernstein Royal Edition

Choosing an older Beethoven Fifth--Kleiber, Bernstein, or Ka

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Carlos Kleiber released his classic Beethoven Fifth in 1975 with the Vienna Phil., it made his reputation oernight, and the recording itself was greeted as a revelation. At the time I wondered if this was really true, since two older Fifths from the early Sixties, Karajan with the Berlin Phil. and Bernstein with the NY Phil., seemed quite wonderful already. Now I have the latest remastering of each, so I decided to sit down and compare them.



Sonics: The Kleiber recording was never one of DG's best--edgy, a bit thin, lacking in warmth. In its "Originals" reissue things are improved but not drastically so. However, neither Karajan nor Bernstein sounds appreciably better, the main difference being that these conductors asked for heavier weight in the lower part of te orchestra and were given wider stereo by the engineers. There is still some shrillness in the strings at loud volume on all three CDs. I would say that Karajan's latest SACD remastering gives him the edge. The trumpets at the beginning of the finale, for example, sound more exciting and easier on the ear.



Tempos: It's remarkable that all three ocnductors hear the Beethoven Fifth at the same tempo in every movement, within a few seconds of each other. (Karajan times out slower in the finale because he skips the exposition repeat, which Kleiber and Bernstien both take). The single exception is Bernstein's first mvoement, which at 8:30 takes a full minute longer than the other two and sounds stodgy by comparison (heard in isolation it comes off as measured and grand, an older tradition in this movement, except for the ever-fleet Toscanini).



Interpretation: Here is where Kleiber's reputation stands or falls. I think if I played these three recordings blind, the finales would be identical to any listener. Karajan's first movement is more propulsive than Kleiber's--a surprise since Kleiber was praised for finding new energy in this worn-out music. In the second movement, where Kleiber always seemed light and expressive, the other two are, also. The scherzos are more or less identical. Only Bernstein's measured first movement gives away his performance, although with careful listening, it emerges that Karajan's phrasing is a bit on the stiff side, while Kleiber;s orchestra seems a shade more alert and expressive.



In all, these are each performances to live with a long time. To me, it was surprising that Kleiber wasn't as revolutionary as I'd thought three decades ago. If it makes a difference, I once put five versions of the opening movement on a CD to see which was preferred by some friends in a blind listening test. The Kleiber easily won, so maybe there is something special here after all. Second place went to Reiner's great recording from the Fifties on RCA."

Gruff and essential Beethoven

Omar D. Meza | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 09/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The performance of the Fourth here more than justifies the rating of the disc, being extremely energetic, fast and vital. I think a lot of conductors don't emphasize Beethoven's extremeness, in favor of a more monumental and cultured reading, but Bernstein caught it just right.

The Fifth is played melodramatically in the first movement, too much so for my taste, but the rest of the symphony is judged right, with a blazing finale.

As usual Bernstein's intensity and love of the music overcomes whatever oddities or roughness from the NY Phil are present.

Egmont is done very convincingly, if a bit relentlessly.

The sound is full and bassy, maybe too close, underlining the impact of this music."