Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Riccardo Muti, Philadelphia Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8

Has moments, but why settle?

Laurence Leabow | Simi, Ca. USA | 01/05/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I recently decided to "get into Beethoven." I knew the 5th, 6th, and 9th from my childhood but set myself the goal of becoming intimate with all the symphonies and began with this recording. Since then I've listened to alot of performances of the 7 and 8. Muti, Kleiber(seventh only), Karajan('62), Solti('88), Edlinger, Szell, Ashkenazy(seventh only) and Karl Bohm. Okay, maybe not a huge sampling after all, but it seems that in almost every way Karl Bohm's recording's of these symphonies are the best. If you are considering the Muti because it is inexpensive, consider that the Bohm is a real deal too. It does cost more but it comes as a two-disk set with the 6th(wow!) for less then many single disks. Comments on the Muti disk? Well, the 7th has moments that seemed rushed, others where articulation is lacking, sound that gets too thick in the lower strings and with lots of wonderful competition in the catalog, just isn't competitive. The 8th is better. Very powerful, very brisk, drama, verve, a consistant vision throughout. If you love the work but always thought it should be played faster but still be lyrical(almost swashbuckling) then it's for you. Bohm showed me that the work could be slower, sweeter, more entertaining yet still exhilerating-more completely satisfying. The man(and his orchestra) is amazing."

The best of Muti's Beethoven, especially the Seventh

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

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After three decades of Muti recordings and hering him on one occasion in Carnegie Hall, I came away unimpressed. His career high on CDs began in the Seventies when Muti made scads of recordings on EMI with the Philadelphia Orch. he inherited from Ormandy. This coupling of the Beethoven Seventh and Eighth finds the orchestra in great shape, and the recorded sound is warm, clear, and detailed. Both supply strong support for Muti's surprisingly powerful readings.



This is particularly true of the Seventh, which emerges with great spirit and vigor. It's not as prpulsively intense as Carlos Kleiber's or as epic as Karajan's 1963 recording, but Muti comes closer than Dohnanyi on Decca. One gets the feeling of a large-scale, lush orchestra playing with grandeur but not pomposity. I am somewhat less fond of Muti's Eighth, wishing for more lightness and fleetness, but it is admirable on its own terms. In all, this is the best Beethoven I have heard form him.



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