Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Weingartner, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Choral"

Weingartner's Noble Beethoven 9th!

Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 07/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This noble conception of Beethoven's 9th from 1935 is perhaps the finest legacy of conductor Felix Weingartner (1863-1942). It is, quite simply, one of the greatest performances ever recorded of one of the greatest symphonies ever written. The first movement has an extraordinarily taut and propulsive energy, the Scherzo (without repeats) has a wonderful rhythmic momentum, the Adagio is very poignant and expressive, and the Finale is superbly paced, with arguably the finest vocal quartet of all.



I first acquired this 9th on a miserable Columbia LP transfer, and later taped a mint set of the original American Columbia 78s. Unfortunately, both suffered from muddy, rumbling bass. Then around 1978, the performance was issued (coupled with the 8th) on a Turnabout LP taken from European 78s. The bass response there was much improved but the highs were a trifle over-filtered. Shortly thereafter, I heard another collector's set of Japanese 78s and was bowled over by their FAR richer bass and the much greater presence and immediacy of the entire orchestra. After all, it was Nipponophone, a Japanese subsidiary of EMI, who recorded Weingartner's Vienna Phil. readings of symphonies 1, 3, and 7-9.



This Naxos transfer by Mark Obert-Thorn is, with one exception, the finest-sounding edition ever issued. Unlike his previous effort (Pearl CD 9407), which was taken from a variety of rather worn-sounding 78s that were severely bass-deficient, this Naxos was transferred from the American Columbia set. Obert-Thorn has provided seamless side joins here and has cleverly divided the Finale into 7 separate tracks for easy access. He has, however, been somewhat "interventionist" in his use of noise suppression to provide a homogenized sound for the various 78 sides used, and the bass response is somewhat lacking.



Enter Opus Kura, a Japanese CD label that espouses a minimalist approach to 78 transfers. I feel that their Weingartner 9th - taken from the original Japanese 78s - is the finest ever: the bass response is full and rich, the entire orchestra (especially the winds) now sounds almost 3-dimensional in its immediacy. Because no noise suppression has been utilized, there is FAR more hiss and noise that comes along with it, and each 78 side is noticeably different in quality. But now the orchestra is dramatically more lifelike and involving. The 78 side on which Richard Mayr's bass solo makes his entry is so clear that he sounds like he has suddenly leaped into your listening space. To hear him sing his extended run on "freudenvollere" in a single breath without any suggestion of strain has always astounded me - now it's simply staggering.



Obert-Thorn's transfers of the Weingartner London recordings (Symphonies 2 and 4-6) for Naxos remain un-rivalled. Naxos' inclusion here of Weingartner's magisterial 1938 London Phil. reading of the Consecration of the House Overture makes perfect sense: the work was originally debuted on the same program with the 9th under Beethoven's direction. I have never understood why this late Beethoven masterpiece isn't performed more frequently. It is both an affectionate look back at Handel and, to my ears, a preview of Mendelssohn. Weingartner's reading is magnificent - the wonderful bassoon part comes out very clearly. I still prefer the more stately rhetoric of Rosbaud's introduction (on a Grammofono CD that I have reviewed at Amazon), but surely these are the two finest-ever recordings (there was also a fine Scherchen account on Westminster LP).



What to do? My suggestion would be to own both this Naxos and the Opus Kura. For those who find the extra noise and hiss on the latter to be a distraction, you can simply use your tone controls to cut the treble about 30% - then you have a high end that is close to the Naxos but with the additional richness and clarity of the Japanese 78s in the bass and midrange. With Naxos you get this near-definitive Consecration overture, while the Opus Kura is coupled with the Creatures of Prometheus Overture (no duplication here: it's a different take than the one used elsewhere on Naxos).



Much as I revere Weingartner's 9th, a 1935 recording shouldn't be one's only recording of the work. Furtwangler left ten(!) recordings of the 9th (all "live"): the 1942 Berlin, the 1951 Bayreuth, and the 1954 Lucerne are among the greatest Beethoven recordings in existence (the 1954 has the finest sound, but I wouldn't be without any of them). Abendroth's 1950 live account (Music & Arts) is also superb. Perhaps the closest to Weingartner in over-all conception is the 1958 Schuricht/Paris Conservatory (from his complete set on French EMI). A dramatic 1950 Fritz Busch reading can be found on a 6-disc historic Beethoven set from DG (I have reviewed both the Schuricht and Busch accounts here at Amazon). There is a wonderfully weighty, VERY German account from Konwitschny and the Leipzig Gewandhaus (complete set on Berlin Classics in excellent stereo). And finally, if you can find it, the complete set (Dante LYS) with Georgescu and the George Enescu Philharmonic of Bucharest (I'm not kidding!) has a 9th that is one of my all-time favorites. Not the cleanest execution by any means, but Georgescu's conception of Beethoven has a nobility comparable to Weingartner's, and the 1961 sound is decent.



In a nutshell: What magnificent music!"

A Powerful and Moving Ninth

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 09/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a little reluctant to listen to this new transfer of the 1935 Weingartner/Vienna Philharmonic recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony because I used to own an LP transfer--I forget the label it was on--that was in shrill, almost unlistenable sound. And although I thought the performance was a blockbuster, it was like listening to it over the telephone or in old-timey AM radio transmission. But I've been very impressed by the Weingartner/Beethoven series coming out on Naxos, with transfers by that genius of a transfer engineer, Mark Obert-Thorn. So I thought it might be worth a listen. Still, I put off removing the shrink wrap, fearing the worst. I particularly remembered a horrible bloop in the third movement that jarred me every time I heard it. Well, my fears were unfounded; the bloop is gone and the sound on this transfer is a jewel. Yes, there is still a bit of an accentuation of the higher frequencies but the presence on this transfer has to be heard to be believed. One can actually hear instrumental detail that, for its time, is amazing--for instance, the bassoons in the march in the last movement.As for the soloists, they are simply top-drawer. As they should, they strain a bit. I say they _should_ because I'm convinced that Beethoven intended they should have to strain some to sing their basically instrumental lines. Still, this group of soloists, stars of the Vienna State Opera--Luise Helletsgruber, Rosette Anday, Georg Maikl and the inimitable Richard Mayr (remembered for his 1933 'Rosenkavalier' Ochs)--are a powerhouse. Quite spectacular. The singing by the Vienna State Opera Chorus is equally fine. And of course Weingartner's way with Beethoven is too well-known for me to extol its virtues beyond saying that his sense of architecture and phrasing is such that this Ninth rises to an almost shattering climax. This is certainly one of the better Ninths I've ever heard.Recommended, not as a first or only recording, but for those who want to hear a blockbuster performance and are willing to make allowances for less-than-modern recorded sound.Scott Morrison"

Finally, a perfect transfer of the classic Ninth!

Ralph J. Steinberg | New York, NY United States | 07/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This performance, one of the two or three greatest recorded Ninths in my opinion, is so well known that I won't bother to review it; rather, I will comment on the transfer. LP's and CD's of this performance have often been plagued by thin, shrill sound and noisy surfaces, as though taken from well warn 78's. Until now, the best transfer was on Preiser, full in sound and taken from mint condition originals. However, there was a jarringly poor join of 78 sides in the middle of the Adagio. This Naxos is perfect in every respect, editing as well as sound. In fact, there is a slight but noticably greater top and presence to this issue as compared to the Preiser. Details now come at you as never before, including the soft drum beats beginning the Development of the opening Allegro. Given the dirt cheap price of this album, it's truly a steal. I defy anyone to listen to this performance (especially the Ode to Joy) and come away with dry eyes. Weingartner is one of the true heroes of conducting and deserves to be heard, not as a historic relic, but as a living and vital Beethoven interpreter.

And by the way, no other solo quartet matches this one: The radiant, ecstatic Luise Helletsgruber, the warm Rosette Anday, the virile Georg Maikl, and above all, the majesterial and consoling Richard Mayr, for my money, the greatest Basso ever.

However, I would like to amend this review after hearing the Opus Kura Edition of the Ninth. It is quite superior to the Naxos in terms of clarity and sheer weight of sound. It also seems that the Naxos has some pitch problems, being flat in the First Movement and in Mayr's recitative. I would now say, go for the Opus Kura."