Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets
occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play
these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or
replace your purchase.
I think another
reviewer put it best: This is the only Beethoven symphony cycle in which I
can listen and just hear Beethoven. All the other Beethoven conductors
I've heard have, to varying degrees, let their egos get in the way of the
music, to the point where I'm not sure how much of what I'm hearing is
really Beethoven and how much is (insert conductor's name here). Dohnanyi,
on the other hand, is a superb interpreter of what Beethoven intended his
music to sound like, mainly because he keeps things direct and honest:
there are no weird tempo variations, no out-of-place dynamic changes... no
"ba-ba-baaaa-BUMMMMMMMMMMM"s for him, as someone else mentioned. He's just
conducting what's on the page, and doing it extraordinarily well. The
Cleveland Orchestra backs him up with a precision I haven't heard anywhere
else. I use the phrase "tightly controlled" power a lot to refer to this
particular orchestra: they don't try to blast a continuous wave of sound
at you; rather, they snap it out in bursts. In addition, the orchestra
plays with a polish, precision, and almost perfect balance for which I
haven't found a match. The result is a Beethoven symphony cycle that's
both powerful *and* precise, something I haven't found anywhere else: all
other conductors err too far toward one side or the other. I do have to
demote this cycle slightly for Telarc's sound, which--although very well
done--does allow the brass to overshadow the other instrument groups
slightly, most noticeably in the "Eroica." Fortunately, Dohnanyi is keenly
aware of what every instrument family is doing and when each should be
prominent, so the orchestral balance in each of these symphonies is well
maintained anyway. I just can't say enough good things about this symphony
cycle: listen to the whipcrack of a last note at the end of the first
movement of the Fifth, for example, or the awesome, majestic second
movement of that same symphony. Listen to the regal power of the entire
"Eroica" as recorded here. Check out how jubilant the Fourth symphony
(normally something of a throwaway) sounds under Dohnanyi's baton. Listen
to the unusually boisterous peasants' dance in the Sixth. Note how
hypnotic and woeful the slow movement of the Seventh becomes, or the lush,
tender slow movement of the Ninth, or how awe-inspiring the Ninth's finale
is, with its chorus just exploding out of the speakers. I could extend
this list on and on, but I'm just babbling now. The point is, this
sadly-underrated Beethoven symphony cycle is my cycle of choice. I won't
go back to other interpretations now, and I bet if you try these
interpretations out, you won't return either.
Was this review
helpful to you?
12 of 12 people found the
following review helpful:
A Lesser Known Great Beethoven Symphony Cycle,
January 11, 2001
Not only is
this the best digitally recorded Beethoven symphony cycle performed by an
American orchestra, it is unquestionably one of the best available. Why it
isn't on amazon.com's list of best Beethoven symphony cycles is a great
mystery to me. These are spellbinding performances which Telarc has done a
very good job of recording. The Cleveland Orchestra plays Beethoven's
music as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Vienna and Berlin. Under
Dohnanyi's inspired conducting, the strings and woodwinds have a lush,
sweet, almost Viennese sound; the brass sections play as warmly as their
counterparts in Chicago.
Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra have their share of great
performances in this set. I can't think of a more perfect "Pastorale" than
their version, perhaps better than Karl Bohm's with the Vienna
Philharmonic. The 9th Symphony is another superlative performance too. The
3rd Symphony should be regarded as among the best, except that Telarc's
engineers have overemphasized the brass section at great expense to both
woodwinds and strings. Indeed, my main complaint is the fact that the
sound is not as well balanced among different sections of the Cleveland
Orchestra as I've heard elsewhere (e. g. Barenboim with the Berlin
Staatskapelle or Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic). Other excellent
performances include those of the 5th and 8th symphonies. Dohnanyi's
version of the 7th Symphony is among the swiftest; it is a credible
version, but one which isn't as compelling as those I've heard from the
Vienna Philharmonic (conducted by Kleiber, Bernstein or Bohm), Nikolaus
Harnoncourt with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, or Daniel Barenboim with
the Berlin Staatskapelle. Indeed, I will venture to say that this cycle is
better than Karajan's classic Berlin Philharmonic cycle dating from the
early 1960's, which many regard as a definitive cycle, including the music
editors at amazon.com.
This set of the
nine symphonies are brilliant, and superlatively recorded. However, there
are some orchestrative aspects that I don't really agree with, especially
in the ninth symphony. However, to be fair, I must say that the tempo is
suberbly gauged, textural boundaries and cadence points are much more
clearly defined than any other version I've heard. The sheer immense
grandeur of the work comes out very well. The solo quartet is admirable,
although the vocal balance was better achieved in the Karajan 1963
version. Dohnanyi's version of the fifth symphony is the finest that
is currently available, with all the awesome power and stygian darkness,
interspersed with flickering flames. The sixth symphony is beautifully
executed, with a pearly, light and superbly clear texture. The seventh and
eighth are..pretty good. The Karajan version does these two better.
Overall, the brilliant recording and beautiful execution make this set
worthwile, but I would personally recommend buying it in conjunction with
one or two others, specifically the Karajan 1963 version, so that you get
a complete and impartial picture of these most monumental works.
Was this review helpful to you?
9 of 9 people found the
following review helpful:
Simply Amazing!!, April 7, 2002
Reviewer:
A music fan (Bronxville, NY United States)
Of all those
complete sets of Beethoven symphonies out there, this is by far the one to
get. It is not that well known (it tends to be over-shadowd by recordings
by Karajan and all those other guys), but it deserves more credit than any
other set out there. This is the only Beethoven symphony set in which I
can listen to it and simply hear Beethoven. There's no weird
interpretations, it's simply Beethoven. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of
the best orchestras in the world, and they prove that in this set. The
woodwinds are especially superb. None of the music seems to drag or to be
too fast - it's just right (I'm a big fan of fast tempi - but you just
can't complain in this set). The Orchestra is very crisp and tight at all
times, which is rare in most Beethoven cycles. After every symphony is
done, you always feel like your ears have been greatly rewarded. The sound
quality is fine - I don't know what some of the others are complaining
about. I can hear every section (including the low strings) with no
problem. This set is a great treat for your listening pleasure. This set
is without a doubt the best one on the market right now!
In my book,
there are really only two great choices for the complete Beethoven
symphonies: the von Karajan/Berlin from the early 60s, and this. (They're
actually pretty complementary, too: the differences in tempii are
noticeable, and each conductor does a lot with the choices they make). The
Dohnanyi/Cleveland set benefits from more updated recording technology,
but I also like Dohnanyi's approach. He's not afraid to pull out various
sections to reveal details we sometimes miss with von Karajan. There is
also a force and grace to some of the slower movements such as the
7th's... and when the 4th starts in earnest, it's wonderful. The 9th is
superb, and I find the sound clear, but to be honest with you it will not
rivet you the way a live performance will. (Unless you play it really
loud, your stereo just will not rival the sound you hear from 250
musicians/singers in Carnegie Hall.)
Explore
Similar Items: 14
in Music 
." Visit our audio
help page for more information.
.gif){kind=small}
See
all 9 tracks on this disc
Cart
Based on 11 reviews. 
Absolutely brilliant, July 2, 2003 
it would be excellent set, but ...., October 14,
2002 
Excellent set...with some slight drawbacks,
August 9, 2002