Search - Beethoven, Royal Flemish Phil, Herreweghe :: Symphony No 9 (Hybr)

An exciting Beethoven's 9th as seen from the other side of h

Leonard Bogat | Philadelphia, PA USA | 04/30/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone who has attained a certain age grew up with post-Symphony-of-a-Thousand Beethoven. Among the great interpreters were Furtwängler, Böhm, Kleiber the elder, Klemperer, Walter, and von Karajan was the kid in the group. This was marvelous, intense and grandiose Beethoven, played with a sound big enough that even the unfortunate master himself might have been able to hear the fortissimo passages, and an orchestral quality that would have done Wagner and Bruckner proud.



Then came the period instrument people who decided that if Beethoven were only performed using the instruments of his own time, the performances would be authentic Beethoven. Well, no one knows how it sounded then, and even the use of an instrument built in 1800 will sound like a two hundred year old instrument played by a 21st century man if the technique and style of play is not that of anno 1800.



Every half a dozen years or so, I dig out all the old LPs and realize what I have been missing. Until now.



This recording by conductor Philippe Herreweghe, still a brilliant kid my age to my mind's memories which don't age as rapidly as I do, comes as a startling surprise. Herreweghe has done his share of making music using period instruments, but that's not the point. He has had a formidable career as a conductor of 18th century choral music, and his approach to Beethoven is that of someone to whom Beethoven is new and vibrant and excitingly forward looking.



This performance of the "Choral" Symphony might take you a few hearings if your ears are anything like mine. But half way through the Adagio of my second listening I sat up in my chair, started listening from the beginning again, and delightedly made the acquaintance of Beethoven as a contemporary. It was exciting. And as I get to know him better, every successive hearing of this CD opens for me a new layer of understanding.



The Adagio has always struck me as the weak movement of the 9th. It tends to go on and on, wandering here and there, rarely engaging me as do the great Adagios of Bruckner and Mahler, an unfair comparison if ever there were one. But taken at this brisk pace, it is entirely different music.



I have nothing but praise for this wonderful recording and Philippe van Herreweghe has my eternal gratitude. And

it doesn't matter how many recordings of the 9th you own. You must have this one. What this will have done to my beloved old standbys remains to be seen, but that is for another day.



The soloists and chorus are superb, as Herreweghe led vocal forces are wont to be, and stylistically entirely suited to the vocal music of the late 18th century. The Royal Flemish Philharmonic plays just beautifully.





The CD itself is a hybrid multichannel Super Audio CD, playable in stereo on a regular CD player."

Musical

D. Paper | Logan, UT | 04/08/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own the Vanska Beethoven 9th (SACD) as well as many other non-SACD Beethoven 9ths (Guilini, Karajan, Solti, etc.), so I am reviewing this based on some experience with this symphony. The only 9th that comes close in terms of sheer musicality is Guilini's with the Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra on Polygram (I think that this one was released in 1991). The sound of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic conducted by Herreweghe is simply stunning. It is lush, transparent, sumptuous, and well balanced. Although Penatone SACDs are typically beautifully recorded, this one may be the best in my opinion. The performance is musical, well paced, and just enjoyable to listen to. I love the Vanska SACD version, but I tend to play this one even more. I couldn't recommend this recording more highly!"