Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 9; Overtures

I have a sentimental feeling for Bohm's performance of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony because it introduced me to Napoleon. Bohm performs this work so beautifully, I can actually see Napoleon in my head while listening to this recording. I have an LP version of this recording with a detail from Jacques-Louis DavidÕs famous painting of Napoleon crossing the Mount Saint Bernard on the albumÕs cover. I first saw this record in my local music store when I was about 12 years old. I kept this record ever since.

Frankly, with Karl Bohm's view of the Ninth the only thing that stands out in my mind are the closing chords. There are some attractive moments but, for the most part, throughout virtually the entire symphony the "wrist" is rather limp and its pulse rather weak. Even in the final movement, the chorus and orchestra just seem to amble along to the very end. The vital forces that should resound in this work have taken a holiday. I find it difficult to wax eloquent about this mostly uneventful event....The Third or "Eroica", is a horse of a different color as far as I am concerned. Bohm gives it one of the finest performances of this work I have encountered. The kinds of musical details he brings out and the way he expresses them make for very satisfying listening. This is especially true of his rendering of the first and fourth movements. But it is in the funeral march where he really scores. While Bruno Walter is particularly effective at conveying the solemnity of the occasion, Bohm digs even deeper, and delivers an even more thoroughly felt combination of seriousness, sadness, tragedy and nobility. To cite another comparison, while Karajan in his 1962 "Eroica" is dramatic here, he is unable to break through to a more profound level of emotional expression. This Bohm/Eroica certainly deserves to be on the short list of excellent Beethoven Thirds...In closing, I wish to add a few words about the sound quality on this disc. At times, it is somewhat bright. I have encountered the same problem with another of DG's two-fers featuring Karl Bohm conducting Beethoven's "Pastorale" (Sixth) along with his Seventh and Eighth Symphonies. It is especially noticeable when one compares the sound of this two-fer Sixth with that of DG's "Originals" version with Bohm conducting the identical Sixth along with Schubert's Fifth. With the latter combo, one gets a considerably better balance, and there is no occasional impulse to nearly wince.

This is one of the most dissapointing Ninths I have ever heard. Bohm conducts Beethoven as Mozart, controlled and at moderate/slow/incredibly slow tempi. To begin with, these tempi are far off from Beethoven's specifications, regardless of whether or not Beethoven's metronome was off or if he set the tempi too high for whatever reason. Karajan's tempi versus Gardiner's "correct" tempi are convincing, but to slow it down as much as Bohm does is clearly not in Beethoven's intention--Bohm is not within the ballpark. And if Bohm wishes to slow down the tempi so much, he should at least add more emotional intensity. The truth is, Beethoven's symphonies are more emotionally intense at quick tempi and good dynamics. Though the first movement of Furtwangler's 42 or 54 performances are also slow, Furtwangler's first movement plays with terror whereas Bohm's plays with grace. Grace was not the intention of the first movement--that's for sure. The second movement is also too slow, though it does for a second add more mystery to it, but just for a second, then I get bored. I think Furtwangler got it right when he detected both mystery and ferocity in this movement, thus his scherzo starts slow but has rapid changes in dynamics. Bohm's is just boring. Now, Bohm's slow movement isn't bad, as I do believe it is best when played slowly. Slow tempi should be used when they accurately convey the emotion that Beethoven probably was trying to communicate, so the slow movement isn't bad. The fourth movement: in the strings interlude after the turkish march/tenor solo-- how weak is this! Many have interpreted this as being a "war" of some sort (preceded by a call to war by the tenor and followed by victory), but this surely is a weak war! Furtwangler, once more, in his fast mind-blowing tempo choice, conveys the struggle accurately. But Bohm seems to want clarity above anything. The fourth movement, because of the chorus and soloists, however, is not bad. It does play warmly, and that is perhaps why so many love this recording: they only care about one movement! That, or, they are too used to listening to Bohm's recordings of Mozart and need to experience the mind of Beethoven--a possibly bipolar, anything but controlled, madman of fury!