Long regarded as the quintessential interpretation of the most popular and best-loved symphony ever written, this performance of the Fifth has everything: passion, precision, drama, lyric beauty, and a coiled fury in the first movement that sets your pulse racing from the very first note. Carlos Kleiber has made very few recordings in his distinguished career, but almost all are special. If you own no other copy of this symphony, this is the one to get. It comes with an exceptional performance of the Seventh--not quite as gripping as the Fifth, but definitely one of the great ones. There is classical music, and there are classic recordings of classical music. This one's a classic. -- David Hurwitz
More Albums by Various Artists
Various Artists "Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4"
$29.47
From the people who brought you the Complete Works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 250th Anniversary Edition and the Complete Works of J. S. Bach Edition now bring out the Complete Works of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Brilliant classics has spared no expense to get the best possible performances of the music of Beethoven. The list of artists reads like a who's who of classical music.
Kurt Masur, Gewandhaus Orchestra, Friedrich Gulda, Vienna Philharmonic, Henryk Szering, Royal Concertgebouw, Bernard Haitink, Stanislaw Skroaczewski, Minneapolis Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Theo Adam, Helen Donath, Herbert Blomstadt, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Guarnari tring Quartet, Arthur Grimaux, Clara Haskil, Heinrich Schiff, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Zoltan Kocsis, Alfred Brendel, Pewter Schreier, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis and many more!
Various Artists "Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies"
$7.99
From a pure-pleasure standpoint, the first Beethoven's Wig was nothing to flip over, and the second disc in the series follows suit. However, that is not to say that this is not a valuable and possibly ingenious record. Those unfamiliar with the premise will quickly get the picture: Producer/writer/lead singer/chief clever guy Richard Perlmutter gathers a bundle of important classical works (Paganini's "Violin Concerto #2," Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz") and makes up silly, catchy lyrics to lay over them, informing the listener about the piece or its composer. Standing out for their offbeat brilliance this time are "Dvorak the Czechoslovak" ("Humoresque #7," Dvorak) and "Wow What a Wedding Cake" (Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mendelssohn). Few stabs at mixing education with entertainment succeed so well. As a bonus, the second half of the CD repeats the symphonies straight up, presenting a neat opportunity to quiz kids 5-12 on what and who they've just heard. --Tammy La Gorce
Various Artists "Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos"
$37.97
Otto Klemperer's Beethoven is one of the towering achievements in the history of recordings. By today's standards, these performances are hopelessly old-fashioned: dark, heavy, and frequently very slow. But they are also the grandest, most unsentimental, most purposeful versions in the catalog. In addition, the relatively slow tempos (only in the fast movements--the slow ones are pretty swift) and forward wind balance permit more detail to be heard than in most original-instrument performances. At budget price and with the entire piano concerto cycle thrown in for good measure, this is greatness incarnate. --David Hurwitz
Various Artists "Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra"
$7.28
This performance is also available on Deutsche Grammophon in an earlier, mid-price incarnation, but this version is clearly the one to own, since the remastered sound is a definite improvement over previous issues. Herbert von Karajan always did a good job with this symphony, and his performances are quite consistent, even down to the very backward-balance of the chorus. By general consensus, though, this is the best of them. --David Hurwitz
