Chailly's Beethoven cycle
Thu, Nov 3 2011, 1:56AM
Here are my thoughts on Chailly's Beethoven cycle. It is excellent on its own terms. He is a classicist so does not take agogic liberties. I think great music is open to different interpretations, part of the fun in listening to classical music is in listening to different interpretations, otherwise one could program a computer to play the music. But freedom exists within a structure so the conductor should be true to his own vision and that of the composer and not merely impose his own ego. Among modern cycles, I would place it in the top five (these are not in order), Wand, Abbado (Rome),Chailly, Bernstein, Jarvi. Mackerras would have been in the top five for his conducting but is let down by the sound and his orchestras. Chailly is certainly true to his vision, his orchestra is superb and the sound is exemplary. The scores emerge fresh,alive, exhilarating and joyous. Jarvi's cycle too makes one listen with fresh ears. I would be much interested to hear what others feel about his cycle. Regards Anand
Fri, Nov 4 2011, 1:21AM
#2
RE: Chailly's Beethoven cycle
Bernstein in Beethoven, don't make me laugh, my sides are splitting. Tell me does Bernstein use the usual seating arrangements for the orchestra, or does he split the glitter and whipped cream, and have the fireworks directly behind the dancing girls.
Fri, Nov 4 2011, 1:25AM
#3
RE: Chailly's Beethoven cycle
Bernstein in Beethoven, don't make me laugh, my sides are splitting. Tell me does Bernstein use the usual seating arrangements for the orchestra, or does he split the glitter and whipped cream, and have the fireworks directly behind the dancing girls.
Sounds like fun. Is it on DVD/Blu-ray?
Fri, Nov 4 2011, 9:12AM
#4
See comment below
Unfortunately, the system does not seem to allow one to delete one's comments once they have been saved. So please read the one below.
Fri, Nov 4 2011, 9:18AM
#5
RE: Comment on Bernstein
Thanks for your replies. Each person is entitled to their own preferences. Bernstein was a very musical conductor, his phrasing sounds natural and unforced. I am not alone in thinking that Bernstein's Beethoven is good. The German music critic Joachim Kaiser in the discussions in Thielemann's Beethoven cycle on blu ray describes Bernstein as a genius. Incidentally, I find some of Celibidache's Beethoven too is good. I think one one enjoys different interpretations depending on mood. One does not enjoy speedy, testosterone driven Beethoven all the time. Good Beethoven conducting requires a combination of muscularity and lyricism. Rarely do most conductors achieve both. Bernstein's Vienna cycle is available on dvd and on cd.
Mon, Dec 31 2012, 10:14AM
#6
RE: Chailly's Beethoven cycle
I have loved it very much. It sounds punchy, alert and stylistically accurate all at the same time. I admire Chailly's music making tremendously and I know that he is improving with agein coaxing the sounds from his orchestra.
I have attended some concerts of Chailly in Leipzig some years ago, when I lived in Berlin. The orchestra and the venue (Gewandhaus) are above Chailly and most of the current conductors. Chailly was blessed to play with such an Orchestra.
His cycle, regardless of all the obvious benefits, is on the very fast track : very fast tempi, to the extent Beethoven sound almost as something else. I like the more traditional slow, analytical, imposing and heavy Beethoven. So, also from your "top five", I espouse only Bernstein and somehow Wand. See for example, the amazing pace of the few Symphonies Carlos Kleiber had recorded. However, Beethoven Symphonies are such great music that allow so much room of manoeuvre (except maybe the very fast tempi).
Parla