Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe :: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9

Less is More

Jeffry H. Steele | 04/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I always enjoyed the mystically wheezing viols of Concentus Musicus (heard them at Amherst College in the 70s), I had not caught up with N. Harnoncourt's recordings of post-Baroque music till now. What a glorious discovery! The smaller orchestra lends intimacy, reveals details, brings the winds to the foreground, yet still packs a wallop for the fortes. Add to that the fact that you pay a third of what you do for the other reputable Beethoven symphony cycles (owing to the CD being out-of-print?) and you are getting more for less twice over."

Decent, but very passive and overrated

Douglas Thorpe | Los Angeles, CA USA | 04/03/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Far too bland and passive for my taste. I seriously doubt that LvB expected that his symphonies would be this uninspiring in the interest of "authenticity." Beethoven was a composer/ conductor of great energy and intensity (see Thayer); this set lacks both. Harnoncourt gets too much credit in the trades (see Gramaphone) for being a pioneer of period performances without demonstrating that his interpretations come close to inspiring or historically accurate. The Karajan 1963 analogue set, Toscanini with the NBC SO, Walter with the Columbia SO and even Furtwangler's WWII recordings with the Berliners (without 1, 2 and 8) in my view set the benchmark for modern instrument recordings. For a truly wonderful set of period instrument/style recordings see Gardiner and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique with the Monteverdi Choir on DG Archive. The Collector's Edition is now available at a bargain price."

Masterpiece Collection is Unsurpassed

T. Carlsen | 01/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a fan of the CEO and my opinion is probably biased. No other recordings of Beethoven symphonies I have heard clearly surpass this outstanding collection. The winds are particularly exceptional. The sound is phenomenal. Yes, other fantastic Beethoven symphonies are just as good in different ways and could be called "the best," such as Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra and Kleiber and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, but this set by the great COE and Hornoncourt is one by which I compare others. I recall that it received a score of 10/10 from CD Audio Magazine (I think that was the name). There are many other good ones to choose from, such as Abbado, Bernstein, Fricsay, Karajan, Szell, Klemperer, etc."