Beethoven;Ludwig Van 2001: Sym

These interpretations are a solid balace of Romanticism and modern aesthetics concerning Beethoven. One measure of my Beethoven (if you'll forgive the personal reference) is whether or not in the 6th the flute is free and flying or muffled amid chaos. The BPO balance it beautifully. This is Beethoven at its best; however...

I am working on getting my 3rd DVD of this, the result of skips and stops that appear no matter if their played on PC or DVD player. Amazon has indicated that others are experiencing the same problem, so I would advise that this not be purchased from a source that would hesitate to offer a refund/exchange.

It is memorable MUSICAL performance, very balanced and inspiring. There's something that I don't like about all concert DVDs and it is boring camera work. It is VERY rare when production brings really relevant overview of what is going on in orchestra. In the world where most of the camera people couldn't even name the instrument in orchestra there's a little change they could follow the piece. As a result all concert DVDs show violinist when viola is playing and bassoon player when oboe is sounding. . The worst in this regard is Sony's recordings of Karajan as the camera work is so out of place, the whole performance looks like a workout. If you really want to enjoy Beethoven, try Beethoven Symphonies 1,2,3,4,5,6 and Art Galleries of the Time, 2DVDs+3CDs Ultimate MosaicDVD Collection. It is not concert performance but it is completely different sort of experience, much superior emotionally.

Abbado has recorded this set of symphonies several times and this disc is taken from his last set recorded in 2000-2001. It represents a considerable modification of his previous interpretations and this series reflects his thinking in the light of recent research into period performing practice. It is generally thought to be his finest whole set.

Abbado uses the new score prepared by Jonathan Del Mar which incorporates `the very latest Beethoven research and represents a valuable supplement to the experience gained by Abbado over many years' (booklet quote). Although Abbado does not go as far as using authentic period styled instruments, he nevertheless uses a much reduced orchestral size in these performances and avoids part doubling in the wind. The speeds are generally fleeter without losing necessary gravitas in the slow movements. Speeds are kept constant and avoid the Romantic period type of fluctuations to be found in the recent set of Thielemann performances for example. The same can be said of phrasing. Textures are leaner but not acerbic as in some early examples of early instrument performance.

The result of this is enhanced transparency while delivering considerable dramatic weight. Although this is not in any way a `Romantic' interpretation of these symphonies, it is impossible to miss the passionate nature of the performances which incorporate plenty of performing `brio' from all concerned.

This is a very successful trio of performances. The sound is presented in DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 and stereo. This is superior to CD sound as the file size on DVD is larger and of wider range. The camera work is good giving close-up and more distant shots without distracting hyperactivity. It is nevertheless also true that this was recorded prior to the HD cameras available today and therefore the images are prone to pixilation if the viewing distance is too near for the size of the screen being used.

Musically and sonically this disc is easily worth a full 5 stars but as the visual aspect is more limited as described above I feel that 4 stars is probably the fairest overall grade. The perfect solution would be for Abbado to re-record the whole series again in the same way but in HD. As this is unlikely to happen I think that for many purchasers this will be as good as it gets! So this remains highly recommended for those prepared to compromise on pre-HD imaging.