Stands Alone
Richard Brookes | San Francisco Bay area | 09/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Beethoven's 7th Symphony stands alone. It is a masterpiece in the purest, sincerest meaning of the word. It is the pinnacle of accomplishment from a genius that produced only masterpieces. To get an idea of the importance of this work, look over the list of the many recordings that are available and you will find that every major conductor and orchestra has recorded this symphony. There are many excellent recordings available spanning the past 70 years and there are some notable ones. Toscanini, Stokowski, Furtwangler, Karajan, Szell, Solti and many others have made fine recordings. There some outstanding performances on CD such as Carlos Kleiber's beautiful rendition and Bernstein's final concert with a quirky but impassioned 7th. But which recordings make this work really come to life? Just one. This one.
For those of you who may be doubters, be assured that this is exciting Beethoven. If you love this symphony surely you must be frustrated with the careful, sometimes even wimpy, performances of many conductors. Wordsworth's may not be the most polished 7th but it is truly a gem. If you have been wishing for a 7th with muscle, a 7th that truly is "the apotheosis of the dance," this is the closest you will come with performances on CD today. This 7th sings and dances and gets right in your face. It is wild and unrestrained as I believe Beethoven intended it to be. The Royal Philharmonic plays with enthusiasm and sounds as good as I have ever heard them.
Bravo, Barry. You got it right, man!"
Excellent performances at a bargain price
R. Broadhead | Southwestern USA | 06/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Both Beethoven symphonies on this CD are given superb performances. The sound quality is excellent and the instruments come through clearly and well balanced - there is no muddling of the sound at all on this 1994 studio recording by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Barry Wordsworth. As the Amazon reviewer stated, the first symphony is played with a "Haydnesque quality" and comes across as a joyful, frolicsome piece. The seventh symphony is played in the character of the fully mature Beethoven - joyful and uplifting in a forceful sort of way. Both are well paced and played with liveliness but yet are not overly fast. There is nothing particularly inventive about the performances on this CD - they are good classical performances. This is your grandfather's Beethoven with excellent performances and the benefits of fully modern digital sound. I have several recordings of the seventh symphony and this is my favorite - hands down.
If you are looking for truly exceptional renditions of these Beethoven symphonies, you really can't go wrong with this CD. This CD is proof positive that budget recordings can be exceptional. One nice feature of the liner notes is that all of the members of the Royal Philharmonic are listed along with the instruments they play - very unusual and thoughtful. As a listener, I appreciate the recognition given to the musicians. It is they, after all, who make the music. The CD would be very quiet indeed if they had not shown up to the recording session."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1