[perhapss]

9th Beethoven... Maybe the hardest question...
Tried a lot ... But I always keep coming back to Karajan's / BPO 63...

 
I personally believe this recording to be as good as any other.
Maybe a better way for me to say would be there may be others as good but none better.
 
I'm sorry,I know for many this is sacred ground.
 
I think the Jochum mentioned previously is also great.
Maybe not as great as this though....

 

[bigshot]

Kletzki / Czech PO have a great cycle as does Bohm / VPO. The Brilliant Classics Blomstedt / Staatskapell Dresden is fantastic too. I like Karajan, but these three cycles are better to me. I like Karajan's EMI cycle better than this one too, but it's mono.

 

[perhapss]

  When it comes to Bartok, specially his violin music, for me at least, most violinists can evoke a cold landscape feeling. That it absolutely does not have to be the case, was quite a little shock when I heard the first of unfortunately few LPs I managed to procure - by Gyorgy Pauk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gy%C3%B6rgy_Pauk . Here a YT vid of his farewell concert :
 
 

 
I agree with the "landscape" concept.
 
I think because Bartok's orchestral accompaniment (for lack of a  better word)
 is so vast and complicated that it can overwhelm even great players.

 

[analogsurviver]

   
I agree with the "landscape" concept.
 
I think because Bartok's orchestral accompaniment (for lack of a  better word)
 is so vast and complicated that it can overwhelm even great players.

I agree about vast and complicated orchestral accompaniement.
 
But I do find Bartok, who used so much Hungarian (folklore) music as the basis of his work, is better served by musicians of Hungarian descent. Particularly the Complete Edition on Hungaroton vinyl is something I feel sorry about not getting more of it when it was current : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6CDYxMQ_dM 
 
The first photo of a Lp from this series I could find online : 

 

[perhapss]

  I agree about vast and complicated orchestral accompaniement.
 
But I do find Bartok, who used so much Hungarian (folklore) music as the basis of his work, is better served by musicians of Hungarian descent. Particularly the Complete Edition on Hungaroton vinyl is something I feel sorry about not getting more of it when it was current : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6CDYxMQ_dM 
 
The first photo of a Lp from this series I could find online : 

 
Mostly I agree again.
 
I would be VERY happy to hear that series on vinyl.
I have it on cd but found it of inconsistent. 
 
Even so when it's not "perfect" it's still amazing to me.
 
The recent recordings by folks like Fischer and Kocsis
also are also important in this context.

 

[analogsurviver]

   
Mostly I agree again.
I would be VERY happy to hear that series on vinyl.
I have it on cd but found it of inconsistent quality both in terms of it's musical and recorded qualities.
 
Even so when it's not "perfect" it's still amazing to me.
 
EDIT: That is to say there is a shared passion despite the technical issues. 

I do not have neither have heard the whole series. No idea how CD version compares to the  LP - there ARE decent sounding CDs of originally analog recorded music around, I hope this series is among them.
 
That much body of music is next to impossible to record in short enough period of time to achieve "consistency" - either in musical or recording qualities.
 
But it is impossible to neglect the passion this series has been put together with - deservedly it carries the Grand Prix of Academie du Disque Francais . 

 

[Edgard Varese]

I still find Solti with the Chicago Symphony on the 9th as my long-time favorite.

 
I just picked that up on vinyl in lovely condition a few weeks ago...

 

[perhapss]

  I do not have neither have heard the whole series. No idea how CD version compares to the  LP - there ARE decent sounding CDs of originally analog recorded music around, I hope this series is among them.
 
That much body of music is next to impossible to record in short enough period of time to achieve "consistency" - either in musical or recording qualities.
 
But it is impossible to neglect the passion this series has been put together with - deservedly it carries the Grand Prix of Academie du Disque Francais . 

 
Yes.
 
As a self-professed Bartok fanatic I think this series is the most important set of his music yet.

 

[perhapss]

   
Yes.
 
As a self-professed Bartok fanatic I think this series is the most important set of his music yet.

 
Really would love the Vinyl!!

 

[sh4dowd4ncer]

   
I personally believe this recording to be as good as any other.
Maybe a better way for me to say would be there may be others as good but none better.
 
I'm sorry,I know for many this is sacred ground.
 
I think the Jochum mentioned previously is also great.
Maybe not as great as this though....

Cool. I think this is the kind of opinion/discussion that made this thread become most interesting.
I am pretty sure that there are a few among us that know quite a lot about the subject.
I, on the other side, am only an admirer of classical stuff.

 

[perhapss]

The subject of recordings of Beethoven's symphonies can be wide ranging and maybe even off-putting 
to new comers.Many people have strong opinions on their favorites for a variety of personal reasons.
 
IMO no other set of the classical repertoire benefits from such a variety of quality(and maybe lack of quality)
recordings. Due to the internet the opportunity to hear many varied versions and opinions thereof.
I would highly recommend investigating as many of these recordings as possible.
There's no rush.For me (and I am not young) I continue to learn about these works from new and varied perspectives that continue to be put forth.
 
Here's a link to a healthy online discussion that's quite informative and broad in scope:
 
 
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/forum/recordings/beethoven-symphonies

 

[Seele01]

thank you very much for all your advice, i'll take my time to get my hands on all of theses recordings.
 
for now i'm listenning to this one which is pleasing my ears greatly :
 

 

 
edit :
not sure if this one is famous, but it's quite incredible to see 
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=J8wS61xs_Lw#t=1914
 
9th symphony played and sung with 10 000 japanese in a stadium.

 

[calaf]

  The subject of recordings of Beethoven's symphonies can be wide ranging and maybe even off-putting 
to new comers.Many people have strong opinions on their favorites for a variety of personal reasons.
 
IMO no other set of the classical repertoire benefits from such a variety of quality(and maybe lack of quality)
recordings. Due to the internet the opportunity to hear many varied versions and opinions thereof.
I would highly recommend investigating as many of these recordings as possible.
There's no rush.For me (and I am not young) I continue to learn about these works from new and varied perspectives that continue to be put forth.
 
Here's a link to a healthy online discussion that's quite informative and broad in scope:
 
 
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/forum/recordings/beethoven-symphonies

no need to wonder away to another forum: this thread is (was?) as good as they get http://www.head-fi.org/t/77383/beethoven-symphonies with all our uber-experts weighing in. 

 

[perhapss]

  no need to wonder away to another forum: this thread is (was?) as good as they get http://www.head-fi.org/t/77383/beethoven-symphonies with all our uber-experts weighing in. 

 
Being new to Headfi but not new to Beethoven I would still recommend looking at all viewpoints of his output.
My point was to not limit your view to any one other view.
 
"Need" is not the point.

 

[perhapss]

   
Being new to Headfi but not new to Beethoven I would still recommend looking at all viewpoints of his output.
My point was to not limit your view to any one other view.
 
"Need" is not the point.

 
And no offense to Headfi but Gramophone magazine has a much longer and highly regarded reputation on the subject of classical music.
It's worth a look.
 
Back in my day I used to walk to this funny place called a library to read it.
They had lots of books on this subject as well.Also worth a look.
Beethoven is a deep subject on many levels and lots of fascinating stuff there IMO.
 
Nothing personal against what's written here.