Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 (Choral)

Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 (Choral)

In his fascinating Radio 3 Building A Library on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (summarised in the February issue of BBC Music Magazine) three out of Stephen Johnson’s four top recommendations were of recordings made more than 50 years ago, and the fourth, of Abbado’s 1996 ‘live’ recording, is a broadly ‘traditional’ interpretation.
 

Our rating

3

Michael Beek

Published: January 20, 2012 at 4:29 pm

COMPOSERS: Beethoven
LABELS: Sony
WORKS: Symphony No. 9 (Choral)
PERFORMER: hristiane Oelze (soprano), Petra Lang (mezzo-soprano), Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor), Matthias Goerne (baritone); German Chamber Choir & Philharmonic/ Paavo Järvi
CATALOGUE NO: 88697576062 (hybrid CD/SACD)

In his fascinating Radio 3 Building A Library on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (summarised in the February issue of BBC Music Magazine) three out of Stephen Johnson’s four top recommendations were of recordings made more than 50 years ago, and the fourth, of Abbado’s 1996 ‘live’ recording, is a broadly ‘traditional’ interpretation.

Certainly the first three, conducted by Toscanini, Furtwängler and Klemperer, all register that the conductor regards the Ninth as a great spiritual document. Modern performances, versed in historical awareness, of which this recording by Paavo Järvi is emphatically one, too often disregard that aspect, for many people the key feature, and make the revolutionary qualities of the work reside entirely in its large scale and its often audacious orchestration.

The Bremen Chamber Philharmonic plays superlatively as in earlier releases in this series, and delivers plenty of surprises, even shocks, but none that hint at the work’s ‘philosophical’ dimension. Perhaps that is why the text of Schiller’s Ode to Joy is not printed in the booklet.

The voices are just further instruments, in the case of the solo quartet spectacularly good ones, but without a message. The German Chamber Choir is a professional body of 16 singers, up to coping with Beethoven’s extreme demands, but that number can’t be overwhelming, as I think the choral contribution needs to be.

Järvi’s tempos are faily brisk, with each of the first three movements taking just over 13 minutes, so a slightly broader Scherzo than one might expect, and a flowing Adagio. There is no question that Järvi has strong views about the work, which he has imparted to his small, fervent orchestra.

There is intensity, disruptiveness and excitement here, and it is well worth listening to. For me, though, it is a very partial view indeed of the work, and I would still recommended Klemperer’s live recording from 1957, which conveys the music’s cosmic grandeur and depth. Michael Tanner

Michael Beek

Reviews Editor, BBC Music Magazine

Michael is the Reviews Editor of BBC Music Magazine. He looks after the 26 pages of recording and book reviews in the magazine each month, deciding what will be reviewed – no easy task with so much being sent in for consideration! Michael joined the team in 2018, following ten years as a freelance film music journalist and fifteen years at St George's Bristol. Film and television music is his favourite thing, and when he’s not listening to things to be reviewed in the mag, Michael loves nothing more than to listen to the music of John Williams and James Horner – his favourite film composers. He was the Editor of MusicfromtheMovies.com and has written for the BBC Proms, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood in Vienna and Silva Screen Records. His favourite writing gigs so far have been programmes for each of the Doctor Who Proms, soundtrack album notes for Doctor Who – Series 4 and Torchwood – Children of Earth, plus programmes and features for live concert screenings of Jurassic Park, Gladiator, Back to the Future and Raiders of the Lost Ark. While he never got the chance to interview the late James Horner, Michael was delighted to spend an hour on the phone with John Williams for the 2020 Christmas issue of BBC Music Magazine. Also a presenter, Michael has hosted concerts and live events for Bristol Film Festival and St George's Bristol, plus Debbie Wiseman's ‘Music and Words from Wolf Hall’ shows at venues across the UK. Michael has worked regularly with Debbie Wiseman over the years, writing concert programmes and scripts (for Terry Wogan and Simon Bates) and producing her 2011 album Piano Stories.
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