In today’s Orange County Register online, I review John Eliot Gardiner, the ORR and Monterverdi Choir in performances of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” and Ninth Symphony.
Click here to read my review, or pick up a copy of tomorrow’s newspaper.
In today’s Orange County Register online, I review John Eliot Gardiner, the ORR and Monterverdi Choir in performances of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” and Ninth Symphony.
Click here to read my review, or pick up a copy of tomorrow’s newspaper.
November 21, 2012
Comments RSS and TrackBack URI
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
A well-written review, as usual. But it does not answer the most important question: was it the best Beethoven you have ever heard?
Ah, well, the guarantee was for the best “Beethoven Ninth” you’ve ever heard. At any rate, you and I know one can’t say which performance is “best.” But this was a good one, obviously. My preference in this work, however, is for performances with modern orchestras. Two good Ninths that come immediately to my mind are Furtwangler’s and Szell’s. How about you? Any favorite Ninths?
Oh, and by the way, thanks for the props.
Can’t recall any recording of Beethoven’s Ninth that satisfied me completely in every way, but there are certainly several good ones. Among the oldies i like London Philharmonic with Bruno Walter from 1947. Half a century later, Zurich Tonhalle with David Zinman made a surprisingly (at least for me, that is) fine recording. Generally, i prefer all nine Beethoven symphonies in lively tempos – for example, under 70 minutes for the Ninth.