BEETHOVEN Piano Concertos: No. 4 in G, op. 58; No. 5 in E?, op. 73, ?Emperor? ? Arthur Schoonderwoerd (pn), cond; Ens Christofori ? ALPHA 079 (69:50)


A fascinating disc, yet one that for a variety of reasons functions in a rather supplemental fashion. These readings aim to bring authenticity (viewed from a variety of angles) to bear on these familiar scores, presumably intending them to be able to be heard in a new light. Not that ?authentic? performances of Beethoven are too thin on the ground?but such chamber-music forces as these certainly reveal detail in a way rarely encountered.


The notes that accompany this release are commendably detailed, encompassing?among other headings??Vienna under the spell of Napoleon,? ?Erard?s Influence on Viennese piano making,? ?Beethoven and Archduke Rudolph,? and ?Performance Practice Research.? As in the case of Alpha 052 (see review by Peter Rabinowitz in 29:2), there is a long essay analyzing the cover painting (a nice idea) and, again, it is true that the works themselves receive relatively short shrift.


Schoonderwoerd plays on a Viennese pianoforte by Johann Fritz of around 1807?10. The booklet chronicles Beethoven?s initial affection for the Parisian Erard piano eroded somewhat on actually spending some time with the instrument?s short keys, and his asking Andreas Streicher of Vienna to bring it up to required Viennese standards. Louder, brighter, and with facilities for ?una corda,? these French-influenced instruments led other makers towards these attributes, including Johann Fritz.


Interesting that in the section headed ?Performance Practice Research,? much space is devoted to the fact that the volume the orchestras of the time created was far greater than that we hear today, despite their considerably smaller size?this because of the severely reduced dimensions of the various rooms/halls the works were performed in. That would, possibly, explain the close recording balance exhibited by the present release. Quite a shock on first meeting, it all takes some getting used to, for there is surely an implicit contradiction between the chamber-size forces and the in-your-face sonic experience that results.


Once the ear has adjusted, though, the swings and roundabouts that comprise these performances can be more fully evaluated. The Fourth Concerto initially has problems establishing an intimacy, even with the aforesaid ear-adjustment?and the ensuing tutti actually sounds quite jolly. The presence of keyboard continuo is perhaps another surprise, but it is contradiction rather than surprise that lies at the heart of this. Bearing in mind the reduced forces, one might be forgiven if one expects increased intimacy, so the outgoing nature of the performance seems somewhat at odds. The cadenza begins with a dramatic descending scale, ushering in one of the highlights of the performance.


The strings of the slow movement rather bizarrely sound martial (not to mention ultra-clipped in delivery); the finale emerges more as relaxed and engaging chamber music than anything else. An interesting approach overall, but return visits to this account of the Fourth might be rather few in number, I suspect.


And the ?Emperor?? Well, the brightness of the orchestra is certainly fitting. Good that on his chosen instrument Schoonderwoerd is able to use more pedal and not worry about blurring; good also that the chosen scale enables orchestral detail to register in a way impossible with larger groups. There is, however, perhaps too much of a sense of struggle (technical), and around the 10:40 mark the tension noticeably sags.


The second movement is marked by Beethoven Adagio un poco moto . Here it is a healthy andante mosso . ?Healthy? in fact is a fairly well-chosen description, for Schoonderwoerd?s attack is certainly that, verging on the martellato on occasion. Yet, this is not the greatest problem here. The lack of good legato can lead to problems in chordal passages, plus the so-often magical transition to the finale is on the literal side. The finale does much to redeem the situation. Predominantly dance-like in character, there is a real sense of play here as well as some energy. Just lacking the final ounce of bite, perhaps.


No chance of deposing any preferred versions (so many to choose from?Pollini/Bohm in No. 4 and Arrau/Davis in No. 5 spring most easily to mind), but illuminating nonetheless.


FANFARE: Colin Clarke

This selection is a Hybrid Multichannel Super Audio CD. The Stereo Hybrid SACD program can be played on any standard compact disc player. The DSD Surround and Stereo programs require an SACD player for playback.

If I were pressed, I would have to say that this series is the most consistent in an advanced-resolution format at providing excellent sound. Listen to the Beethoven piano concertos, for instance. The listener is placed in row ten, center, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra sounds rich, full, and focused. You sense immediately that you truly do have the best seat in the house. The solo piano enters and what a sound. It is like a magnificent, properly tuned piano! The overall sound is just right. And so it goes, with every release in this series. -- Rad Bennett, Radical Sounds

A welcome pairing of the two “second-string” Beethoven piano concertos in superb performances….Brent Town Hall in London was the recording site in 1974, and the phantom center image of the soloist couldn’t be better. -- John Sunier, Audiophile Audition

Mr Kovacevich was a killer interpreter of Beethoven back then, and Davis an ideal accomplice….Played with dispatch and recorded with a full-bodied sound that doesn’t lose its characters in the quietest moments, these are performances that will never grow stale. -- Dr. Phil Muse, Classik Reviews

If you don’t already have this recording in another format, it’s worth acquiring even if you don’t have an SACD player. It’s proof audibly that the best analog (and Philips were very good at it) was better than any digital until the present, and it is ironic that the SACD format shows off how good these masters were in the 70s. -- Andrew Marshall, Audio Ideas Guide

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

This release features the complete sonatas and variations for fortepiano and violoncello, recorded on period instruments. In this collaboration, Matt Haimovitz plays his own Goffriller cello, crafted in Venice, Italy in 1710 – outfitted with ox-gut strings also from Italy and an early 19th century rosewood tailpiece and drawn by a Dominique Peccatte bow of the same era, while Christopher O’Riley plays on an original Broadwood fortepiano made in 1823.

Review:

Cellist Matt Haimovitz prefaces his period-instrument Beethoven cycle with an absorbing essay. Good engineering also helps, and Pentatone’s vividly resonant production captures the music’s wide dynamic range with clarity and heft.

More significantly, Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O’Riley play the living daylights out of these works. They lap up Beethoven’s combative style like hungry lions anticipating raw steak, relishing the composer’s frequent subito dynamics, unpredictable placement of accents and over-the-bar-line phrase groupings.

Terrific performances of the variation sets prove more than merely filler. If you want a HIP counterpart to the Maisky/Argerich cycle, look no further.

– Gramophone

All around the world, critics cheered the SCO Wind Soloists’ previous album of Mozart Divertimenti: ‘superb in every way’ (Fanfare), ‘a joy from start to finish’ (Europadisc), ‘sparkles with joy and chuckles with good humor’ (BBC Radio 3 ‘Record Review’). Continuing to explore the Harmoniemusik repertoire, the Wind Soloists’ new recording features youthful, entertaining and brilliant music by a young man who took Vienna by storm in the 1790s: Ludwig van Beethoven. The underrated Octet is a technically challenging concert piece in the Mozart tradition, but with the flair and unpredictability of the young Beethoven. In the Sextet, Beethoven exploits the differing characteristics of each instrument to great effect with the SCO’s legendary interplay on full display. Another gem is the short but sweet Rondino, which is full of subtle details, exquisite melodies and exhilaratingly high-speed horn playing.

-----

Everything here comes from the composer's early years. The lively and light-hearted Sextet is crisply played, finding a happy balance between bucolic vigor and expressive delicacy.

– Gramophone

There are projects on which the artistic director of a record label straightaway asks himself a few questions. For example, when it comes to recording Beethoven's three 'greatest hit' sonatas, recorded a multitude of times by the leading pianists. However, a forte-pianist of the calibre of Alexei Lubimov already constitutes one good reason to implement the project, as does the choice of the facsimile of an Erard piano (1802, copy made by Christopher Clarke) of which the original was within Beethoven's reach. Above all, this recording presents a double interest: - the 'cross-disciplinary' thinking that preceded the recording, strictly speaking, and which was an integral part of the project. It brought together Christopher Clarke (builder), Thierry Maniguet and Jean-Claude Battault (curators), Alexei Lubimov, Catherine Kintzler (musicologist), Karoly Mostis (tuner), and the laboratory of the Cité de la Musique in Paris; - the possibility of sharing, in a digibook, this reflection on the instrument, its technique, the way to play it and the impact that all this has on the interpretation. At no moment does the result of this pluridisciplinary thinking restrain the performer's intentions - on the contrary! It is the source of new energy, both contemporary and highly respectful of the sources' intention.

Also available on Blu-ray

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis was performed on 13 and 14 February, 2010 at the traditional memorial concert to commemorate the bombardement of Dresden during the last weeks of World War II. Under Christian Thielemann, the Staatskapelle Dresden proved itself exeptionally qualified to master this work´s magnificent challenges. Thielemann “conjured up the gigantic cosmos of the Missa with such lightness and grace that its mystery seemed to reveal itself”, wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. No less remarkable was the fabulously homogeneous solo quartet formed of El?na Garan?a, Krassimira Stoyanova Michael Schade, Franz-Josef Selig.

Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Japanese
Booklet: English, German, French
No. of Discs: 1
Run time: 90 minutes
Disc Format: DVD 9
Picture: NTSC, 16:9
Audio: PCM Stereo, PCM 5.1
Region Code: 0 (worldwide)

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

Also available on Blu-ray

Recorded live from the Royal Concertgebouw, April 2012

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS 5.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: Latin, German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Running time: 99 mins
No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)

Classical Music

The Collegium Vocale Gent and Orchestre des Champs-Elysées interpret Beethoven's Missa Solemnis for PHI. This major work of the sacred repertoire, high on the list alongside Bach's Mass in B minor and the Mozart Requiem, is Beethoven's longest work and assuredly the one that demanded the most work. The composer even considered the Mass his finest work. Philippe Herreweghe shares this opinion and judges the Missa Solemnis to be one of the apogees in the history of classical music. With four superb soloists, a refined chorus and orchestra, Philippe Herreweghe invites us to a thoroughly transcendental experience.

Accounts that are ever stimulating and searching. Enthusiasm and a questing, fresh approach that should not be undervalued. Most rewarding.

The Wihan Quartet’s live accounts of the Beethoven Quartets are ever stimulating and searching, as this three-disc set underlines. The youth of the quartet surfaces in enthusiasm and a questing, fresh approach that should not be undervalued. The recording reminds me of the techniques used for the Quartetto Italiano’s Beethoven cycle – harsh at times but fully revealing of all detail.
 
The spirit of spontaneity runs through the first movement of Op. 59/1. Amazingly, the risks are supported by a technical excellence that means they all seem to pay off. Some may find the recording too close, but the plus side is a remarkable clarity. The structure of the first movement is revealed with clarity, and yet there is an unstoppable momentum there, too. The Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando is perhaps a tad earthbound. One marvels at the group’s sense of ensemble and inter-instrument communication, but it does not quite hit the heart of Beethoven. The Adagio molto e mesto is another matter, though. Here there is true beauty married to total concentration. The “ mesto” part of Beethoven’s instruction is patent throughout.
 
The first Razumovsky is coupled with Beethoven’s transcription of the Op. 14/1 piano sonata. I have mentioned on this site before how the piano part does seem particularly drawn to four-part writing. The Wihan Quartet’s reading is fresh and full of vigour. The members of the quartet revel in the first movement semiquaver exchanges as much as they bask in the warmth of the second movement Trio. There is plenty of character here – the Wihans evidently refuse to treat this as second-rate Beethoven, or even a second-rate Beethoven Quartet, for that matter. The first violin laudably avoids any sense of sliding in the chromatic decorations towards the end of the finale, a finale that is rounded off in massively confident fashion, as if the quartet were mightily pleased with what they have done. As well they might be.
 
The second “Razumovsky”, the E-Minor, is given a gritty, determined reading. The first movement oozes energy, while the sublime second is one of the finest things I have heard the Wihans do. The contained ecstasy, the concentration and the tonal finesse are all present and add up to a reading that exudes a maturity far beyond the quartet members’ years. The excellence of Leoš Cepický’s first violin is of particular note: sweet-toned, and with superb articulation. The slow, harmonically groping introduction to the third of the Razumovsky’s is superbly rendered; the joy of the allegro is somehow tempered, however. The slightly dry recording does not help here. The generally relaxed Andante con moto quasi allegretto is beautifully rendered and here the slightly harsh sound for the outbursts underlines their anguish. The triumph of the performance is the scampering Presto finale. The Wihan’s approach is slightly lighter than the norm here, and it works well.
 
The “Harp” quartet’s opening acts as real balm if heard straight after Op. 59/3. The Wihans seem more relaxed in the Allegro, although as the pizzicatos turn into bowed patterns, the temperature rises spectacularly. The Presto third movement contains real vehemence, while the “sighing” gestures that open the finale are simply exquisite, leading to a sense of the exploratory as Beethoven’s variations unfold. Finally, the “ Serioso” quartet, although on the basis of the opening gesture it should be renamed “ Furioso”. The Wihan’s youthful approach suits the first movement perfectly. Overall, the Wihan’s almost deconstructionist approach here of presenting the music barely pays huge dividends.
 
A most rewarding set.
  -- Colin Clarke, MusicWeb International

Selection includes Alexander Schneider Speaks about the Budapest String Quartet's early years.
Throughout their long and historic career, the Budapest String Quartet championed the complete cycle of Beethoven's string quartets both in recording and recital. Their blend of total knowledge of the score in the Beethoven and in other works, such as the Bartók cycle, combined with a unique intensity and refinement, influenced all subsequent generations of chamber musicians. The Guarneri Quartet in particular, who have recorded and performed the Beethoven cycle several times, clearly has shadows of the Budapest in their playing. So, for that matter, do the Juilliard and Emerson quartets. Solo and chamber artists such as Arnold Steinhardt and Jaime Laredo benefited from working with members of the legendary ensemble at Marlboro. Therefore the legacy the Budapest left is an enduring one that is rife with musical rewards for the discerning listener.
From the 1940s to the 60s, the Budapest Quartet was Quartet in residence at the Library of Congress. This disc is a compilation of some of their more notable performances, culled from hundreds of recordings. Though the production quality leaves something to be desired, the music making is supreme.

BEETHOVEN Octet in E?, op. 103. Rondo in E?, WoO 25. Symphony No. 7 • Oslo Kammerakademi • LAWO 1036 (SACD: 61:52)


The Oslo Kammerakademi, a wind octet, was formed in 2009. This is their first CD. They are members of a variety of Oslo-based ensembles, including the Oslo Philharmonic and the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Each player performs with the caliber of a soloist, and together they make a beautiful sound. The Artistic Director is oboist David Friedemann Strunck. Their CD is very distinguished. In Beethoven’s early Octet (for unexplained reasons titled the “Parthia” on this CD), the opening Allegro is sprightly and full of charm. The natural horns, employed throughout the CD, contribute spice—even barking at times. The ensemble’s balances here are especially good. In the next movement, an Andante , the playing is mellifluous and lyrical, with distinguished solos. Occasionally a shadow falls over the music, which the players render sensitively. The third movement’s Menuetto features especially fine ensemble, while the Trio has a ghostly tinge. The Octet finds a chattering, comic element in the Finale. It is hard to imagine the Octet being played better. For the Rondo, the group performs Beethoven’s original version with expanded horn parts. The horn playing is particularly nimble, while the group’s other members contribute subtle and gracious solos.


The apparently anonymous arrangement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony for wind octet and double bass was published in 1816, the same year as the original work. On the assumption that a piece with trumpet parts, in this arrangement taken by natural horns, always would include timpani, the Oslo Kammerakademi has added the original timpani part to their version. The result may not be particularly authentic, but it does make the pulse race. In the arrangement, the final movement is substantially cut. The Oslo Kammerakademi’s speeds for the whole Symphony are basically leisurely, more Bruno Walter than Roger Norrington. The tempos permit much expressive playing. The introduction to the first movement has an especially warm sound. The flute solo at the start of the Vivace is given here, perkily, to the oboe. The Vivace sounds alternately exciting and convivial. The players take the exposition repeat. What Carl Maria von Weber considered the Symphony’s madness still comes across, and the movement’s coda sends a shiver up your spine. In the Allegretto , the opening tune is played beautifully by the two bassoons and the double bass. The tempo almost is dirge-like. In the second subject, the ensemble performs with uncommon warmth. The movement’s fughetto passage features ghostly clarinets. The Presto sounds like Rossini, with chattering pairs of winds. In the Trio, the arrangement evokes the sound of the original very well. In the last movement, the clarinets take on the original violin parts with licks that are almost klezmer-like. The arrangement very cleverly maintains the original’s excitement. The Oslo Kammerakademi gives us a wonderfully new and insightful way to listen to this great work. This is highly distinguished playing.


The sound engineering of the CD layer is superb: full, warm and excellently balanced. I was unable to hear the SACD layer. Let us hope for more CDs by the Oslo Kammerakademi. Their Beethoven offers playing that is as accomplished as that of any chamber music ensemble in the world, regardless of genre.


FANFARE: Dave Saemann

Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, was a work the composer struggled with on and off for several years, offering up several overtures and subjecting it to much revision; indeed, even the naming of the work took on a bit of operatic drama. This 1957 live performance is a most interesting one for collectors to consider, presenting as it does a recording from Athens, Greece with Jascha Horenstein at the helm, and showcasing, at or near her vocal peak, the renowned Wagnerian and dramatic soprano Martha Mödl as Lenore in partnership with Italian spinto tenor Giuseppe Zampieri as Florestan.