Beethoven's 6th is my favorite. Of the recordings I've have, I'd only recommend the Norrington and Sony's "Bernstein Century", which has the 6th and 8th recorded in 1963. As for recording quality, with such graces as these two have, who cares?
Norrington's version is special for the care they take in trying to reproduce the original music, such as the smaller orchestra, and period instruments. I especially like the orchestration, which isn't as heavy as many modern versions, and the sixth doesn't need a heavy bow. It's easier to hear the separate instruments, which is especially nice for appreciating the period instruments.
The second movement of the Bernstein probably transcends what Beethoven had in mind. Someone mentioned how Bernstein overdoes things. In this case, the overdone sentimentality is magical. Most other versions make me feel refreshed and restored as if I've just spent the day in the beauty of nature (as opposed to the concrete jungle of NYC), and they have the lulling quality of rocking in a boat, befitting the movement's title "Scene by the Brook". This is basically what I expect from a good pastoral by an independent minded person like Beethoven--to feel a renewed sense of life, beauty, and dignity. In constrast, Bernstein's version (of the second movement) is so beautiful that it's humbling to listen to. It's as if somehow while listening, even this hardened atheist can feel the magnificent beauty--can bask in the sheer ecstasy of just being there in the presence of god. I somehow doubt this was Beethoven's intention, and that may be Bernstein overdoing it, but it's worth the price of admission just for this movement. This doesn't necessarily carry through the rest of the piece, although the same treatment appears here and there in the other movements in some of the variations on the theme.
Norrington's version is special for the care they take in trying to reproduce the original music, such as the smaller orchestra, and period instruments. I especially like the orchestration, which isn't as heavy as many modern versions, and the sixth doesn't need a heavy bow. It's easier to hear the separate instruments, which is especially nice for appreciating the period instruments.
The second movement of the Bernstein probably transcends what Beethoven had in mind. Someone mentioned how Bernstein overdoes things. In this case, the overdone sentimentality is magical. Most other versions make me feel refreshed and restored as if I've just spent the day in the beauty of nature (as opposed to the concrete jungle of NYC), and they have the lulling quality of rocking in a boat, befitting the movement's title "Scene by the Brook". This is basically what I expect from a good pastoral by an independent minded person like Beethoven--to feel a renewed sense of life, beauty, and dignity. In constrast, Bernstein's version (of the second movement) is so beautiful that it's humbling to listen to. It's as if somehow while listening, even this hardened atheist can feel the magnificent beauty--can bask in the sheer ecstasy of just being there in the presence of god. I somehow doubt this was Beethoven's intention, and that may be Bernstein overdoing it, but it's worth the price of admission just for this movement. This doesn't necessarily carry through the rest of the piece, although the same treatment appears here and there in the other movements in some of the variations on the theme.
