Beethoven - Symphony 7 [Bruggen-Orchestra Of The Eighteenth Century]

Here's a disc that i acquired recently, and giving it its first spin, it's a historically informed reading, on period instruments, and that means that the string tone can sound rather thin and sinewy, instead of warm and full, but it also reveals the brass / woodwind / percussion more, it takes some getting used to, but it's also good to hear something in a fresh way, and these are good performances.

Frans Bruggen was Dutch [1934-2014], i didn't know he had died, he was 80, he recorded this disc in 1988, the front cover shows nine individual shots [by Fernando Van Teylingen], of members of the orchestra and Bruggen, nicely laid out, and the lettering inbetween is excellent.

On this listen it was the wonderful first movement that i was most impressed by, it's in the key of A Major, like i said it's a period performance, and a live recording too, the recording is bright, so fortes can sound a bit harsh, but also really quite alive, Bruggen doesn't wallow in warmth and tone, but rather brings out more of the rhythms in Beethoven, the timpani is hard and loud, and it gives you a good idea how Beethoven must have heard it on its first performance, there's a long Poco Sostenuto introduction, and there's this flute bridge to the Vivace [4:19-4:46], and then the whole thing explodes [4:46+ & 7:11+], full of  brass and timpani, it's a lovely cacophony of sound, it's good to hear the 'incessantness' of this movement, it keeps moving forward, i think Bruggen uses the exposition repeat, of course this makes it nearly 15 minutes long, near the end Beethoven has a sort of respite, where he lets the woodwind have some nice pleasant sweet things to say [11:32-12:02], at the end the brass really make themselves heard [14:09-14:45], a real triumph.

Here's Bruggen playing this Symphony on YouTube.

Beethoven - Violin Sonata 9 'Kreutzer' [Vengerov/Markovich]

This is a great disc, bringing together the best Violin Sonatas by Brahms and Beethoven [or at least my favourites!], i think it's a great coupling, even though it's an unusual one, i count ten versions of this work in my disc collection, i must have listened to this work 120 times, and it still always amazes me, what a work of pure genius Beethoven has made here, i am actually quite shocked to find this disc has never featured in my Blog before!.

Maxim Vengerov is Russian, he's now 41, he recorded this disc in 1991 at the unbelievable age of 17, the front booklet photo [by Klaus Thumser], shows Vengerov in a tight head shot, almost a silhouette, and Vengerov busy with his violin, the lettering to the left is really good.

The whole of this work was superb, but i really loved the first movement, it's in the key of A Major, even though it certainly sounds like it's a Minor key work, the movement is Presto, but the intro is Adagio Sostenuto [0:00-1:32], the violin sounding screechy and out of tune [on purpose by Beethoven], the violin and piano take it in turns to set the tone, the movement only really gets going on the two minute mark [2:06+], and it's a mix of fast virtuoso music, and more slower lyrical stuff, Vengerov & Markovich really let fly after a few minutes [3:18-4:23], the intensity of their playing is tremendous, and Beethoven never lets up, the music is relentless, the difficulty of the fast passages [5:02-5:39], are compensated by the beauty of the lyrical passages, Beethoven loves these pizzicato moments from the violin, each new fast moment gets more intense [6:15-7:20], the interplay is fantastic [8:41-8:59], especially from the Pianist Markovich, the preciseness at times is really quite thrilling [10:22-11:01], there's anger aplenty between both players [11:36-12:47], it really is a tour de force, and even with the reflective coda at the end, Beethoven can't resist an angry flourish to end the movement on.

Here's Kremer & Argerich playing this Sonata on YouTube.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Jochum-Concertgebouw Orchestra]

Die Funften!, The Fifths, the Symphony and the Piano Concerto, and what a combination, it's a wonder that this coupling isn't more common, the last time i played this disc, the Piano Concerto was a revelation, Kovacevich is a genius in that work, but this time i loved the symphony the best, Jochum isn't a favourite conductor of mine, and i don't have many discs of his, but this is a lovely addition to my collection, i found this disc on Ebay, never knew it existed before, as it's probably a German issue, but i'm glad i acquired it.  

Eugen Jochum was German [1902-1987], i think this was recorded in 1969, the booklet cover is great, showing a bust of Beethoven, some fantastic light coming in from the left, making some nice contour shadows on his face, the background has nice shades of grey, it was inspirational to call it 'Die Funften', celebrating these two wonderful works, the whole thing looks great.

Well this time i enjoyed the second movement from Jochum, not one i usually find a favourite, but here it just sounds so exciting, the Fifth doesn't have an Adagio, so we get an Andante instead, after a subdued start, we get the full force of the theme in the military brass [1:19-1:39], and repeated again a little later [3:25-3:48], there's this march theme throughout, at times it can be subdued, and other time it can be robust, i like these forte passages, and one appears in the strings [7:46-8:10], and right after there's a delicate echo by the woodwind [8:10-8:21], for the beginning of the coda, there's a lovely bassoon rhythm [8:37-8:50], and some of the best music is at the close, again the sweet strings make some melancholy music [9:15-9:38], it's a movement that can easily be 'forgotten', sandwich between some of the most glorious music Beethoven ever wrote.

Here's Pletnev conducting the second movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Violin Sonata 9 'Kreutzer' [Kubota/Kuyumjian]

This is only the second time i've played this disc, and already it's developing into a real little treasure, Kubota is nice and passionate, as good as others i've heard, maybe she makes the violin 'scream' a bit in louder passages, but she really gets into the music, this is a Japanese issue, i found this on Ebay, discs like this are almost impossible to get in the West, there's a treasure trove of stuff just waiting to be discovered.

Takumi Kubota is Japanese, she recorded this disc in 1996, so already almost twenty years old, not something recent, the front booklet cover is a marvel [by Tai Tsutomu], it's a truly glorious upper body shot of Kubota playing her violin, the most gorgeous light from the left, and clear precise focus, i like the lettering too, this is how booklet photos should be done!.

The first two movements were magic, i think the middle movement variations just pip it, endless inventiveness, here's a synopsis with all the variations,
Theme [0:00-2:58] - The theme is a fairly lazy affair, first introduced by the piano, and the piano and violin keep taking it in turns presenting this simple theme, Kubota / Kuyumjian present it a little slow, but very nobly.
Variation 1 [2:59-5:18] The first variation is a little imp, darting here and there, mainly lopsided piano, with odd notes by the violin, i love Kuyumjian's piano work here, he gets the rhythm right, the genius of Beethoven shines through.
Variation 2 [5:18-7:29] Now it's time for the violin to shine, and the piano to drip drop notes here and there, it's a little disjointed on purpose, 
Variation 3 [7:30-10:31] Almost an intermezzo break, a bit of a lament. 
Variation 4 [10:32-13:30] The violin starts to use pizzicato here, and both Kubota and Kuyumjian are on their toes, i think the violin and piano try to imitate each other at certain points, it's a dazzling variation, and even within it has lots of variety.
Variation 5 [13:29-16:] What sounds like some sort of coda or epilogue at first, branches out into a meditative fifth variation [14:16+], trills on the violin, there's a sort of finality to the whole thing [14:45+], piano and violin are in contemplative mood.

Here's Joshua Bell and Yuja Wang playing this movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Bohm-Wiener Philharmoniker]

I bought this disc back in 2012, from someone in Taiwan i think, this disc isn't available in England and has no barcode, but there's some tremendous discs re-released in the Far East that look so good, i paid a fair price for this, it didn't come cheap, but i worried that it would be a badly recorded live recording or something, as it turns out it's a superb recording, surprisingly very good for 1970 & 1972, but even more important is Bohm's interpretation, music where he lets Beethoven speak, not overdriven and in your face, there's a feel of classic 'this is how it should be done' about it, a great interpretation, this appeared in my Blog a couple of years ago [6th March 2013].

Karl Bohm was Austrian, [1894-1981], this work was recorded in 1970, this Japanese re-packaging is tremendous, the front cover photo is stunningly superb, a crystal clear shot of the Musikverein in Vienna, incandescently lit by those chandeliers, it gives it a tremendous glow, one of the best booklet front covers i know, but the music on the inside is even better!.

Both of these Symphonies are excellently played here, the Fourth is the best version i've ever heard, and the Fifth isn't that far behind, and it was the first movement of the Fifth that i really enjoyed the most, i played this disc while travelling to Reading on the bus, i had it on full volume, and it's slightly recorded low, not the greatest place to play a work when you want a tad more volume, the very opening can seem subdued, i have a recording where Ashkenazy really gets some dynamite out of the opening motif, and Bohm can sound just a bit too laid back in comparison, but there's an architectural long term payback to his approach, it works in the longer scheme of things, it really does sound like what Beethoven wanted, and listening to it now without bus engine distraction, it really does sound menacing enough, well what can i say about Beethoven's revolutionary opening?, it's so profound, it must have stunned audiences hearing it for the first time, Bohm brings out the architecture of the piece so well, one jigsaw piece fits so perfectly into the next, he's not someone who uses short term devices to make a point, but everything seems to be played for long term benefit, the sound really is incredibly good considering the age, plus i can still here individual instruments in the mix, especially the woodwind, a fantastic achievement all round.

Here's Bohm conducting the Fifth on YouTube.

Beethoven - Piano Trio 7 'Archduke' [Trio Fontenay]

This is a really fantastic set of the Beethoven Piano trios, ditching a few of the pieces that haven't got opus numbers, it's all squeezed onto three discs, i must admit that the three early Trios [Opus 1/1-3] are fairly quaint, no great shakes here, and it's only really in 5 & 7 that you truly feel that they can be called masterpieces, Beethoven's Archduke Trio is one of the very greatest Chamber music works to ever be written, the first time i ever heard its noble themes [Kempff / Szeryng / Fournier on DG], i was stunned by the sheer universal and 'orchestralness' of the work, Beethoven here saves some of his most sublime melodies not for a great Symphony or Concerto, but for the humble Piano Trio, it's a testament to the genius of Beethoven, that he doesn't need a Choral Symphony with vast forces to speak to mankind, he can do it just as well through three people, this work stunned me again today.

The Trio Fontenay are from Germany, they were active in the years 1980-2006, and they recorded this work in 1992, now i love the front picture [by Klaus Thumser], a low shot of the trio with their instruments, the blue sky really does something, very well lighted, and the lettering is a treat.

All of the four movements were a real treat, especially 1 & 3, and it's this third movement variations which was absolutely spiritual it was so good, Beethoven has this ability to build this movement up and up, to the point you forget about music, and just bask in perfection,
Theme [0:00-1:54] - It starts with the most sublime and gorgeous theme on the piano, a Cantabile that the violin and cello both join in on, there's a feeling that time stands still here.
Variation 1 [1:54-3:21] - The piano plays a slightly more complex accompaniment, while the cello and piano take it in turns to play the melody, the Pianist really develops an intensity here.
Variation 2 [3:21-4:44] - Both the violin and cello start to throw around the theme in a fun staccato way, but there's still an underlying sadness to the variation.
Variation 3 [4:44-6:08] - The piano gets more complex, and louder in places, and both the violin and cello join together as a duo in just keeping a sort of beat, the piano really does stretch its legs with virtuosity.
Variation 4 [6:08-8:15] - The fourth variation has some of the most tender music in it, all the players contribute equally, and Beethoven ekes out the most his chosen melody, the violin really starts to throw the aching sadness card into the mix [6:43-7:15], and it develops this fantastic otherworldliness.
Variation 5 [8:15-11:19] - A funny mix of a variation, the piano gets really serious, and then later i lose my way, the music seems to change key and turn into a serenade [9:28+] it's so beautiful, the violin and cello are heartbreaking [10:08+], i guess there's a sort of coda in there [10:50+], it contains some of the most endearing music Beethoven ever penned.

Here's the Trio Fontenay on YouTube, playing a sampling of the the second movement.

Beethoven - Violin Concerto [Ughi/ Sawallisch-London Symphony Orchestra]

However much this is a great work, and quite possibly the greatest Violin Concerto ever written, and the very heart of the central repertoire, for me it's actually near the top, probably just out of the top ten, it's very good rather than great, also it's a work which i haven't spent oodles of time really getting to know, i've probably heard this work maybe thirty times, that's really low for such a work of this magnitude, but there you have it, that's my relationship with Beethoven's Op61, in saying all of that, i do notice an uptick in my appreciation of this piece, it is getting into my heart, i am understanding it more, this disc helped me today, this is the first time i've ever given this disc a spin, it's hard to judge it against the competition.

Uto Ughi is Italian, he's now 71, this is a disc recorded back in 1981, the photography on the front and back is excellent [by Clive Barda], there's a certain soft glow about the portraits, i just love the RCA logo, really colourful.

Like i said, this is my first listen of this disc, and it was the first movement that got to me the most, here it's almost 24 minutes long, the opening timpani beats sound fast, but the orchestra sound right, it's a long orchestral introduction [0:00-3:13], Ughi has a sweet tone, up front, but not overly, the solo violin music naturally sounds very much like exercises rather than tunes, a vehicle to practise technique, rather than wow people with pure music, and yet there's lots of good things in there, the music does seem to go round and round, and of course at 24 minutes can be a bit daunting to listen to, especially if it doesn't have a superb tune, and one part of the movement is harder to define where you're at than another part, Ughi uses the cadenza by Kreisler [19:15-22:39], very well done, the ending is done with aplomb.

Here's Ughi playing the Concerto on YouTube.

Beethoven Piano Concerto 5 'Emperor' [Brendel/Haitink-London Philharmonic Orchestra]

Only listened to Brendel a few days ago, and here he is again, got the chance to listen to the other work on this disc, the Choral Fantasia, and i've only listened to this performance on this disc a few times, and with Helene Grimaud, it's still 'unknown' to me, but today i understood its structure more, it's coming, the Piano Concerto 5 was heaven, i'm still stunned in the realisation that after probably a few hundred times, this work can still make me sit up and be just wowed by it's joy and happiness, will i ever get 'used' to it?, i hope not!, here's the other two times it's enjoyed exposure in my Blog [13th February 2010 & 10th May 2012].

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, now 84, he recorded this work in 1976, i love these Philips 'insignia' discs, they really hit a spot, nice re-issues, nicely packaged, this one sports a lovely portrait of Brendel on his back / front porch [by Alecio De Andrade], a great little shot, love the way it's taken from a lower position, the lettering is great on these 'insignia' discs, and the colour schemes work out well, this one's a dull pink.

The first movement is nearly 21 minutes long, that's longer than the other two movements put together, but if anything it's over too quickly, here Beethoven produces something of sheer joy and exuberance, there's no respite, one joyous theme blends into the next, and today i was swept along with the ride, unlike say a Mozart piano Concerto, there's no orchestral intro for a minute or two, but rather a piano solo, almost a cadenza to start things off [0:00-1:10], extremely revolutionary, but each time punctuated by an orchestral fanfare, almost sounding like the pianist playing the Concerto without the orchestra, and then comes what can be considered a Mozartean orchestral introduction of the full theme [1:10-4:15], a massive four minute thing, it also follows the usual piano and orchestral tutti back and forth, i just can't help feeling that there's this major 'laugh' at times, whether in the orchestra or in the piano, it gives it it's sunny joy, and even more so in the final movement, i love the way the opening comes back again and again, the whole thing is a real statement of fanfare and celebration, Brendel is loud and purposeful, emphatic at times, but i love his way with his forthrightness, the ending seems to mirror the opening somewhat, and there's a real cadenza of sorts at the end [17:56-18:42], i love the way Beethoven brings a nice resolution at the end of the movement, arpeggios going down the keyboard [20:13-20:29], and just when your reeling from that, then comes the achingly spiritual Adagio... 

Here's Brendel / Masur playing the Concerto on YouTube.

Beethoven - String Quartet 15 [Quartetto Italiano]

Surprisingly, this is the very first time i have listened to this set, the Quartetto Italiano have been around for yonks, and i've enjoyed their set of Beethoven's Middle Quartets for nearly a decade, but i must admit i'm a latecomer to the Late Quartets of Beethoven, they really just don't jive with me, am i missing something here?, they sound like a step back from the Middle Quartets, not a step forward, and Beethoven seems to split the regular four movement model up into a fragmented 'suite' of movements at times, what's he up to?, but listening to this set over the last few days, i have a new appreciation for these late works, i'm beginning to understand, i think?.

The Quartetto Italiano were formed in 1955, and disbanded in 1980, their legacy has been immense, and they've influenced a whole host of other String Quartets, the booklet shows the Quartet in some ancient Church possibly [by Arje Plas], almost monotone, except for the browns of their instruments, and the red of the logo / lettering, it's a set that's increasingly becoming expensive to obtain in this original four disc incarnation.

It was the String Quartet 15 that i warmed to the most, though not without a feeling that some of the movements seem to be poor alongside others, the opening movement i felt was weak, a mixed bag really, but the glorious centre of the Quartet is the middle movement, at nearly 20 minutes here, it's huge, and if you sort of add the last two movements together, well there's your four movement model i guess!.

Here's my feelings on this central 'Canzona Di Ringraziamento' / 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' = 'Song Of Thanksgiving' / 'Feeling New Strength', it's a beautiful and solemn song, almost like a plainchant, but with strings instead of voices, very well sustained by the Italiano's, rising almost out of nothing to begin with, when the first 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' comes in [4:11+], it's such a powerful statement of sweetness and joy!, it's a movement that could so easily have stood on its own, it alternates between long passages of the 'Canzona' and the 'Forza', in the second 'Sentendo Nuova Forza' [10:17+], it takes things into a higher realm of joy, the music swells more than usual, and the third 'Canzona' gets more passionate towards its end, i feel i'm always left hanging waiting for a third beautiful 'Forza' to come in and create the perfect closure, but it never appears, there's some truly 'spiritual' music in there, the following short movement almost seems like a silly blasphemy by its side, the sacred and the profane, still don't understand how Beethoven put them in the same Quartet!, but that's the prerogative of the master for you!.

Here's the Escher String Quartet playing the third movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - String Quartet 7 'Razumovsky' [Melos String Quartet]

Surprisingly i haven't played these discs much, they're still newish in my collection, but others i've played to death, especially the Lindsay String Quartet, and to a lesser degree the Vermeer String Quartet, i really recommend both, but the Melos have their way as well, i really enjoy their Ravel / Debussy Quartets, and these discs are growing on me.

The Melos String Quartet, where active for 40 years [1965-2005], a German String Quartet, one of the things i notice about the Melos Quartet, is that they don't hang around much, especially in slow movements, and this can be quite a drawback, Beethoven has some of the loveliest, even 'spiritual' slow movements that you could wish for, but you need to give them time to cast their spells, something missing here, especially the slow movement of Quartet 8, which if played right [thinking of the Vermeers here] can transport you to another world.

So i really loved the first three movements, my favourite movement is the first, but on this listen i found the second really interesting, the 'sempre scherzando' means 'always playful', it helps to give a feel as to what Beethoven is trying to say, it sounds a serious statement, here's a sort of breakdown of its highlights,
It alternates between legato lyrical and staccato rhythmic, i can hear the playfulness in there, but definitely not 'always', there's these outbursts at the end of sections which are loud and forceful, at times it can work up into a heady menace [3:27-3:45], the powerful motor rhythms are quite spectacular [5:46-5:57], and it always alternates between sweet and sour, it's a real tour de force of a movement, it's ending is quite ingenious, and quite startling, almost out of nowhere the end appears, a bit of a false pizzicato ending [8:19], and then a final outburst [8:23-8:30].

Here's the Belcea String Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Symphony 5 [Bohm-Wiener Philharmoniker] 

A superb disc, in the past i've been put off by the 'old guys', with recordings that are approaching fifty years old, but this disc is a revelation to dispel all those thoughts, yes it sounds 'old school', but boy do i like old school, in some ways a more leisurely pace, more dignified, not hard driven and fast, plus even on this recording there's an inner clarity, the woodwinds are well caught, it's amazing, i have a new appreciation for Bohm now, and i'll keep a look out for anything else worthy that comes my way.

Karl Bohm [1894-1981] was Austrian, he recorded the Fifth Symphony here in 1972, the front cover is truly glorious, a picture of the famous main hall used by the Vienna Philharmonic, the whole thing couched in browns and golds, look at those superb glowing chandeliers, and the photo is sharp and crystal clear, a real joy to own.

It was the revolutionary first movement of the Fifth that i loved the best, the very opening four note motif sounds a bit underwhelming, and Conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy drive the opening like a thunderous fanfare, to great effect, however Bohm soon gets into the spirit of the movement, yes there's a strong gravitas in the whole movement, it really does take wing, 

Here's Karl Bohm conducting this Symphony on YouTube, same orchestra, i wonder if it's actually the same performance?.

Beethoven - Piano Sonata 14 'Moonlight' [Kovacevich] 

I hate these huge boxed sets of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, which i only have a tendency to listen to a few Sonatas from, the other end of the scale are these one disc surveys, which are kicked out to cover all the Sonatas, and again i hate filling up my disc racking with a dozen single discs to be some sort of completist, there's a fine middle ground which suits me, and that's to buy the odd disc from the odd Artist, it works for me, it frees up collecting Beethoven's early Sonatas, which i find are really quite weak, and allows me to delve into Sonatas i like, collecting the more exciting Sonatas in abundance, this is one such disc, some famous works, alongside some middle period Sonatas that may seem like trifles, 19 & 20 are really short, but there's something about their brevity which is really appealing, this is one of the better issues from Kovacevich.

Stephen Kovacevich is American, he's now 72, and he recorded this disc in 1999, the images throughout have the theme of the moon [using the idea of the 'moonlight' Sonata], of course Beethoven never named his Sonata the 'moonlight', so of course it's got nothing to do with the music, but i like the visuals, the actual disc itself is a complete moon, the booklet cover shows a grainy shot of the moon, the colour theme is all dark / light blue, even on the white areas of the back inlay, you can see a sort of 'map of the moon', i like the layout, the small blue lettering is great, and of course the EMI logo adds a dash of colour to the whole thing.

The first movement is tremendous under Kovacevich's hands, it's easy to get the tempo wrong, too slow and it drags, too fast and you lose the heavenly poetry, i think Kovacevich gets it about right, maybe just a tad slow in places, the opening sounds just right, full of gravitas, it's very hypnotic, it's halfway through that close attention to speed and volume has immense paybacks, towards the end there's a section where some of the most delicious accidentals descend down the keyboard [4:59-5:26], and then the bass plays the melody like some grief laden tolling [5:30+], a great finish, and an inspired close, listening to this again was so good.

Here's Daniel Barenboim playing the first movement on YouTube.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto 5 'Emperor' [Ashkenazy/Solti-Chicago Symphony Orchestra] 

Another trip into the Emperor Concerto, this time with Ashkenazy, not a disc i've played a lot, so it's still early days with delving into this version, but i can certainly say that these are robust solid readings, presenting Beethoven as a revolutionary, Solti's ideas sound exactly like Ashkenazy's ideas when he conducts, and again i must admit that i just can't get bored of this work, or seemingly get overexposed to it, in the three years of my Blog [36 months], this is now the fifteenth time this work has appeared, so roughly every two months i guess, but there again it is the greatest Piano Concerto ever written, so it's easily swallowed up in my love for it, the other work on this disc, his Piano Concerto 2 was also surprisingly wonderful too, long live Beethoven.

Vladimir Ashkenazy is Russian, he's now 75, but he made this recording way back in 1972 when he was 35, the booklet cover shows two photographs, the one of Ashkenazy [by Mike Evans], and the other of Solti [by Patrick Lichfield], it's the lettering that creates nice colours, and the whole front cover is pleasing.

And on this listen it was the heavenly slow movement that i found so arresting, it still amazes me that Beethoven had the power to write such music of profound depth, it's one of his greatest slow movements ever, the orchestral introduction sets the scene / mood [0:00-1:50], it creates a mood of relaxation for me, i can feel myself floating away to a better place, the very opening has the deep bass playing pizzicato, a nice little touch, the movement is in B Major, and when Ashkenazy comes in [1:47+], the whole thing is complete, i must admit that Ashkenazy seems to ring those treble notes a little too loud [3:31+], and the mesmerising / hypnotic hold of dreaminess is slightly broken, a more restrained approach would have worked better, and elsewhere he seems a little heavy handed too, there are passages that are just so perfect, where Beethoven can transport us to another world, especially the piano variation of the orchestral opening [5:04-5:47], and later another variation on the same tune, this time the woodwinds play the tune [6:26+], while the piano accompanies with delicious filler notes, and it's in this guise that the whole thing winds down into the bass, getting ready for the exuberant final movement, wow that really transports me for a good 8 minutes, lovely stuff.

Here's the young Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the Beethoven Fifth on YouTube, Bernard Haitink conducting, the slow movement starts at [21:10].

Beethoven - Overtures [Harding-Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen] 

The first time i played this disc, it concerned me that Harding pushed his orchestra so hard, these are certainly hard driven readings / interpretations, now i've got used to it, i even find the intensity thrilling, also Harding can be a bit clinical in stops and starts, but there's no dismissing his approach and professionalism, i'm sure he's thought long and hard about the results he wanted, the only thing that caused me concern on this listening, is the sharp sound, where's the warmth?, it sounds like a disc without any bass, it's a shame as everything else seems right, i think he took a page out of the historic performance book, lithe clean textures, fast tempos, maybe a thinner string sound, lots of nice brass, a nice heady mixture, this is a nice regular in my Blog, and this appeared only six months ago [12th May 2012 & 28th April 2011].

Daniel Harding is English, he's now 37 years old, he recorded this disc in 1999 at the young age of 23, his youthful exuberance really shows, the front cover photograph [by Ranald Mackechnie] is a great shot, a well composed portrait, i just love that pose, a serious look on the face, and hands clasped, the background is very interesting also, a white wall and trees beyond, and a small potted tree is the perfect addition, also the lettering is very well laid out, i like the way 'Overtures' is set apart in dark grey, the whole thing works on many levels.

Well this was a thrilling disc, the two Overtures i immensely enjoyed were Coriolan and Egmont, and Coriolan is all a Beethoven piece should be, real drama, phenomenal ideas, and a real sense of universal purpose, Karajan & Jochum [two favourites of mine] play the piece at the 9 minute mark, while Bruggen hits 7:17, much more nearer Harding's 7:22, so you can see which field of play he gravitates toward, the opening war like theme is played in the key of C Minor, Harding plays the opening hammer blows very clinically exacting [0:00-0:28], and straight after the speeds are thrillingly lithe, strong use of the timpani, Harding presents Beethoven as Heavy Metal to a degree, strong rhythms, lean string textures, and those timpani are really hit [2:01-2:04], sounds like the guy is having real fun [Stefan Rapp], the more lyrical theme is in E Flat Major, and these two themes intertwine like a dialogue, i love the way Beethoven welds the two themes together expertly, and the constant hammer blows are tremendous, only in the closing coda pages could Harding have slowed down things more and given us something more tender, as i believe it represents Coriolan's death, there could have been more pathos, but Harding gives it to us fairly straight and matter of fact, nevertheless there's so much here to enjoy, Beethoven sounds so involving.

Here's Carlos Kleiber conducting the Coriolan Overture on YouTube.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto 5 'Emperor' [Grimaud/Jurowski-Staatskapelle Dresden] 

I've looked forward to playing this again for ages, there's something about Helene Grimaud, this disc also comes with a DVD, and it shows Grimaud discussing Beethoven, and shows a few snippets of the recording rehearsals, and it's great to see her in action, the way she plays is poetry in itself, plus this is a near perfect rendition of this Concerto, i don't hear any unusual ideas, it's really about giving us straight Beethoven, not diluted with crazy personal interpretations, and a lovely recorded sound to boot, this is another treasured DG disc, i hope she goes on to record Schubert's Impromptus at some time, now that really would be heaven!, here's the entry for my last Blog post about this disc [30th December 2011].

Helene Grimaud is French, she's now 43, and she made this recording in 2006, the front cover picture [by Mat Hennek] is absolutely fantastic, a treasurable portrait, all dressed in black, probably a black & white photograph expertly tinted, and the idea to place the lettering over the black of her body is inspired, nice colours too, it really works so well, one of the best things DG have ever done, along with Hilary Hahn's Bach Violin Concertos.

I was really taken aback by the first movement, i just forget how revolutionary it is, i have a disc in my collection called in German 'Die Funften' [the Fifths, or the Fives], which has Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto alongside his Fifth Symphony, i think it's a great idea to couple the two together, they are similar in their strong revolutionary statements, and i felt that today, the start of Beethoven's Concerto is almost as revolutionary in concept as his Symphony, it startled me today, such powerful music, in analysing this first movement again today, i feel Grimaud / Jurowski take it slightly too fast, and too sweet, a more darker and grandiose feel to the music would show the greater universal-ness of the work, but there's a tremendous amount of music making going on here, deep down it's a happy work, i can hear laughing in the music, especially the last movement, the first movement is vast [just over 20 minutes], and a vast conception to go with it,.

Here's the DVD that comes with the disc, being played on YouTube, a nice teaser for the whole thing.