[Graphicism]

I'm looking at purchasing Beethovens The Nine Symphonies box set and I'm overwhelmed with all the available options on amazon - 406 in all.

Some of the best sellers include:

And for $13 shipped I can get them all in a can!

From listening to the previews it would seem some have more noticeable noise than others, some like this single symphony seemingly have none in comparison...

Any help is appreciated. I'm quite new to classical and looking to build my collection, I'll also be looking for Mozart, Brahms and Bach in the near future and would like the best possible quality. I only have a standard CD player so no SACD unless it's an absolute requirement...

 

[scytheavatar]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/bee...phonies-77383/

If you have time you can read this big thread. I would say that this Abbado set would be the only one you need:

Amazon.com: Beethoven: The Symphonies [Box Set]: Thomas Quasthoff, Ludwig van Beethoven, Claudio Abbado, Violeta Urmana, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karita Mattila, Thomas Moser: Music

It's not too expensive, has a modern sound with no hissing and most importantly is probably the most well-balanced and consistent of all Beethoven Symphonies sets, having the lighter, more small scale approach that's popularized nowadays but still sounding fuller, bigger and more romantic than most of the recent sets.

And whatever you do, don't get the Gardiner set. It's overrated and there are much better period Beethoven sets out there.

 

[Ridleyguy]

I think the best way to build a classical collection that I have seen by far, and I own it myself, is the Deutsche Grammophone 111th Birthday 55 CD set for about $90. Here is the website: HOME | 111 Years Of Excellence | Deutsche Grammophon | [en_GB].

Classical music is one of my main hobbies (see my thread in this section on pianists), but I would not recommend to anyone to start off by buying the 9 Beethoven Symphonies, as they are complex and demanding works to listen to and get to know, and while I love Beethoven, and have all 32 of his Piano Sonatas, his 5 Piano Concertos, etc.,I think you would enjoy more variety and the DG set gives you that - including several of the Beethoven symphonies. Note that they are not all great recordings in that set, and you may not like even 10 of the CDs, but even if that is the case, your cost is $2 a CD for the 45 you do like! Good luck in building your collection. Cheers.

 

[Graphicism]

Thank you. I'll have a read through the thread tomorrow although the set you linked too sounds perfect.

Edit: Wow that is a stunning set Ridleyguy, unless I can't find the link it looks like it's only a digital copy?

 

[Ridleyguy]

You're welcome. It looks like you get the Beethoven 5th, 7th and 9th with the DG boxed set, so the other most popular two symphonies to get at some point would be the "Eroica", Beethoven's 3rd symphony, and 6th, "Pastoral". For most people, those would be the symphonies that are generally considered to be 'must haves' for a collection, and are by a wide margin, the ones most frequently recorded and performed as their themes are well known.

 

[Lex2]

You cannot go wrong with the Karajan cycle, of which his '63 recording is the most popular. If you want a more recent cycle, any one of the Abaddo, Rattle, Vanska, Jaarvi, Zinman, or Mackerras cycles would suit you just fine. Barenboim's cycle is good too, if you want a somewhat neo-romantic, Furtwanglerian twist to the sound. Then there are the old standbys such as Klemperer, Bernstein, Solti, Blomstedt, Furtwangler, Harnoncourt (period), Haitink, Masur, etc that are highly well regarded too. If I had to choose just one desert island cycle, though, I would highly recommend Mackerras, i.e. his most recent cycle with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Symp...0738314&sr=8-1

This is raw and intense Beethoven at its best, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra play like demons in this live Edinburgh cycle.

 

[zumaro]

Vanska on BIS all the way - the best modern set with the best sound.

 

[pekingduck]

Cluytens/BPO (the EMI set) is awesome

 

[Dublo7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pekingduck /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cluytens/BPO (the EMI set) is awesome

That's the set I've got. It's very nice.

 

[Pepsi]

One of my favs. Number 5 is one of the more intense symphonies that i enjoy, if you're looking for something fast and exciting try this one.

 

[KingStyles]

Dont get the tin can set. its not very good. I have the vanska set and it is very well recorded.While you may get some better renditions of it by buying individual symphonies by different conductors, the vanska set is a great all around set to own and it is also available on sacd.

 

[mbhaub]

For a modern set in great sacd sound, superbly played and conducted, and a full size orchestra, the Vanska set on BIS is cheap (about $40) and is the equal of anything from the past.

For a smaller chamber orchestra set that is beyond reproach, the Mackerras on Hyperion in tops.

Despite the many marvelous qualities of some older sets, and ones I really love, for headphone listening the newer sets are worth it for the sound alone. But Vanska and Mackerras are second to no one from the past, Szell, Karajan, Bohm, Bernstein, Klemperer included.

 

[davidhunternyc]

Here is my own two cents - I own nearly all of the great recordings of Beethoven's symphonies that are listed above. I have them on CD's and have enjoyed listening to them on various mid-fi stereo components. A couple of years ago, when I got my first iPod and my first IEM, I ripped the CD's using Apple Lossless onto my external hard drive and then downloaded the music onto my iPod. I noticed that, after a while, I wasn't listening to the symphonies as much as I listened to other music and I couldn't figure out why. I was still listening to other symphonies by Berlioz, Stravinsky, and Corligliano and I loved listening to them on iPod. It turned out that the reason I wasn't listening to the Beethoven symphonies was that the sound quality was really lacking. Kleiber, Karajan, and the other recordings sounding distant and compressed. I noticed too that the other symphonic music I listened to were most often modern digital recordings and the sound quality was much better. On my mid-fi stereo set-up the inferior sound quality of the Beethoven symphonies was not nearly as apparent as it was on my iPod and IE8. So, like you, I posted about which Beethoven symphonies were the best recorded symphonies in terms of sound quality. After much deliberation, I concluded that the Osmo Vanska recordings was the right choice for me. On Amazon, you can purchase the whole set for around $50. I still have not purchased these symphonies myself but I have them set to purchase on my next Amazon splurge. I wish I could tell you that the Vanska recordings are the best sonically recorded symphonies but I can't tell you that yet. I guess you would have to ask yourself what is important to you in the Beethoven cycle; sound quality or performance? Also, on why kind of equipment do you plan on listening to this music? Anyway, below is the link of my post on the subject. This may help you decide. Good luck.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/bee...rdings-436583/

 

[eyeresist]

Karajan's 1962-3 set on Deutsche Grammophon is a standard recommendation. Very solid and exciting performances. A new remastering was issued in the last couple of years. Probably your top choice of the older sets.

Vanska's set was praised for its sound. I haven't heard it; for me, interpretation is more important than pristine sound, and I don't know how Vanska compares in that respect. You should closely compare audio samples to see how different conductors perform the same music, then choose the one that seems most "right" to you.

 

[Lex2]

In terms of sonic performance I find the recent Vanska, Abbado, and Jaarvi cycles to be about equal sonically. In terms of performance all of them - to me at least - are perfunctory and "safe" interpretations. Some might find them boring, in fact. Sonically the Mackerras live Edinburgh cycle is very, very good but it suffers from the deficiencies of all live performances (audience noise, some minor hiss, etc). But the performances are top notch and very satisfying. Mackerras recorded an earlier studio cycle with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic which I can recommend as well. It lacks the immediacy of the live performance but I find it as good as, if not better than, the much touted Vanska and Jaarvi cycles. Performance quality is why some people still swear by Furtwangler's mono recording of the 9th at Bayreuth. It's in a different league of its own and unlikely to bettered by anyone anytime soon.