Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

 

 

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I was surprised to find such a fantastic reading of the Beethoven Ninth from Gunter Wand and the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra. Although no Berlin Philharmonic, the NGR delivers quite a punch in this reading of the symphony. Gunter Wand has the orchestra in top form. They play with total conviction, total transparency, total balance, and with faith in their conductor. Although a known Brucknerian, Wand here gives us one of the grandest recordings of the ninth on record. And what exactly does he give us? A taught, fast-paced, energetic reading of the symphony. His tempos are steady and firm; he does not handle the work as freely as Solti or Bernstein. Rather, Wand feels that this symphony still firmly rests in the Viennese Classical tradition and conducts it as such. Still, there is a wild energy in the inspired playing - grand crescendos, large, full brass sounds, and powerful sonics. The opening to the finale is quite amazing. The vocalists as well are in top form. All in all, although one wouldn't expect a definitive version of the Beethoven Ninth to appear from the NGR Symphony Orchestra on RCA's budget label, low and behold, here is one. Highly recommended.

I expected the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra-- based in Hamburg-- to have a less sophisticated or polished sound than the Berlin Philharmonic. Yet these strings have a silvery, glistening quality that hums "first-rate." Somewhat superficially, I was reminded of good German engineering in a BMW. Yet this orchestra distances itself from that antiseptic sound I associate with the technically supreme Cleveland Orchestra by brass that are rather raw (the horns have a fat even tone). Mostly though, Wand has this group playing with *heart*. So this is brilliantly performed Beethoven in the no-nonsense tradition of, say, Karl Boehm. But the reason the old man Wand joins the two super-egos of my collection, Karajan and Solti, is a certain youthful presence in his version of the Ninth. Old Boehm didn't bring that to Beethoven so his version comes across as just a good day's work with a great orchestra (the Vienna Philharmonic). Even old Klemperer in the studio comes across that way to me-- with some odd tempo choices which are alarming the first time through and annoying each time after. It's true, Wand's soloists don't equal the likes of Janowitz and Berry, or Van Dam and Schreier on Karajan's two best versions (1963 and 1977). Yet the choir is superior and the whole Finale seems much less studio-bound than it does in Karajan's versions. One can conclude from my preference for the approaches of Karajan and Solti that I go for excitement-- even if a less insightful or imaginative excitement-- in my Beethoven. Once again, Boehm and Klemperer, even Barenboim, give us solid versions, yet I look for a little more. And Wand provides it. This Brucknerian's sense of proportion is perhaps one reason the First and Third movements don't become unwieldy as they have in the hands of Bernstein or perhaps Barenboim. In fact, I never thought I'd hear a Third Movement equal Karajan's account in the 1963 version, yet Wand does it-- or I should say the NDR Sinfonieorchester does, the winds in particular who shine through so movingly. The idea is not to cheat the music of its expressiveness (as Klemperer surprisingly did) yet also not to linger eternally over each passage (as Bernstein did). Wand strikes this ideal balance. In the First Movement-- forgive me for bouncing around the work-- the thing I look for is a build up of energy without a boiling over, an intensity created by the musicians keeping things tightly in check instead of just busting out with wild abandon. Wand and his orchestra do this as well. As for the Second Movement, the lack of a crude display of power-- louder, always louder-- was a nice change from the way I remember Karajan and Solti (though they are much better than that in the actual hearing). Still, Wand is not afraid to let Beethoven be crude. Karajan liked to round things off and Solti was the ultimate organizer. Yet the shrill outburst at the beginning of the Fourth Movement-- and later on before the bass voice sings "Oh Freunde"-- is another area in Beethoven where the music *should* sound ugly, very ugly. Of course, I didn't realize this until I heard Wand. And there are countless other "ah ha!" moments in this version. Gramophone Magazine has listed this as a top recommendation and other critics and music-lovers I've read or talked to speak glowingly of it. So if you haven't heard Wand's version, I hope you will very soon.

Gunter Wand -- died in Frebruary 2002 -- was a great conductor of Bruckner (maybe the best). But your Beethoven is really prodigius, specially the Symphonies n. 3, 8 and 9. Your Eroica is the best record ever realised. And the 8th is very dinamic, better than too many others, like Karajan, or Barenboim or Furtwangler (it's incredible, but it's the true, because the EMI recording is very deficient when we talk about sound quality).

The 9th Symphony conducted by Wand have a superb sound, and is the second best record of this world masterpiece made in digital sound -- loses only for the 9th conducted by Bernstein in December 25, 1989, to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In the First Movement, Wand conducts wonderfully, with precision and introspection. The time is suitable and very opportune. The Finale, in the Fourth Movement, is perfect.

This is one of the three (together with Furtwangler and Bernstein) indispensables recordings of the greatest musical work of Western art.

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