Beethovan's Fifth

[miTunes75]

Who DOESN'T love this symphony...from beginning to end.

I have heard only one recording of it. I don't own it, but I borrowed it one day. Which symphony does the best production in your opinion? / best arrangement, best sound?

I'm looking to buy this weekend. All help will be great appreciated.

Thanks, friends.

 

[Agent Kang]

Here you go. Kleiber conducting the 5th and 7th with the VPO:

 

[DavidMahler]

Carlos Kleiber with the Wiener Philharmoniker on Deutsche Gramophone......its the standard

 

[Schalldampfer]

Indeed... I can only agree with the above.

 

[Tyson]

Kleiber is the best choice for most people. Absolutely essential recording.

 

[gilency]

I grew up with the Von Karajan's version so I am partial to it. Also have the Academy of St Martin in the Fields verison, which is OK but not great.

 

[mbhaub]

Hard to argue against the Kleiber...but I will. The problem is the orchestra is too big. The wonderful details are missing because of the mass of strings. Now, I suppose there is a place for this big band approach. But me, I much prefer smaller orchestras like Beethoven would have had access to. Then you can hear the rasping of the contrabassoon and the miserably high notes in the trombones. So I say John Eliot Gardner or Harnoncourt. Exciting, yet smaller scaled and it really helps to clean it up. Plus, they're digital and I've always thought the sound on the Kleiber was not top notch. And then you simply have to have Furtwangler -- big orchestra or no. Simply electrifying.

 

[zoomjohn]

Carlos Kleiber, one of the best interpretations and sounds very good also

 

[zumaro]

Hate to go with the flow, but Kleiber gives you 2 classic accounts of Beethoven symphonies, both of which are hard to beat as top recommendations. The 7th symphony is an even greater symphony than the 5th - probably Beethoven's best in my opinion, and this rendition is as lean and exciting as any period performance. And that is being said by an early music enthusiast. Vanska would also be a very good choice for a modern performance of the 5th in superb sound.

 

[augustwest]

The Carlos Kleiber versions of the 5th & 7th are considered classics and because of this over shadow many other deserving recordings. While the Kleiber versions are good, there are many other appoaches to these popular symphonies that deserve your attention as well. Just about every conductor has made a recording of these symphonies, some of them have recorded them more than once. So my best advice is to listen to some different versions and decide for yourself, before rushing out and just buying the Kleiber because everyone says it's the best. You may find something that moves you more.

Without buying a number of different versions, you can visit your local library, and give some of their versions a test spin to get an idea of what's out there.

Personally, the Kleiber is not my first choice, even though it ranks in the top five for me.


- augustwest

 

[seacard]

I think you have to start with Kleiber. Then, when you are hooked, you'll want to hear some of the more "historically informed performances," be it with a modern orchestra (Vanska), a chamber orchestra (Dausgaard), or a period instrument orchestra (Gardiner). Of course, you may want other "traditional" recording, like Barenboim, Karajan, Wand, etc.

Really, there is no shortage of great recordings of Beethoven. Check out the Beethoven thread we have here for suggestions.

 

[Schalldampfer]

I have the Karajan version, too, but didn't he cut some parts out?