BaL 2.01.16 - Beethoven: Symphony no. 5 in C minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library: Nicholas Baragwanath recommends a recording of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. It is an iconic work that has assumed a central place in the repertoire - admired not only for the intellectual rigour of its musical working out but also for the highly emotional atmosphere of its themes of fate, despair and heroic triumph over adversity.

Available versions:


Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado (DVD)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Tonhalle Symphony Orchestra Zürich, Otto Ackermann
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Chamber Orchestra of Basel, Giovanni Antonini
Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Takashi Asahina
Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (DVD/Blu-ray)
Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (DVD)
Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Bertrand de Billy
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt (DVD/Blu-ray)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Stefan Blunier
Berliner Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm (download)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Böhm
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra of London, Adrian Boult
Manchester Camerata, Douglas Boyd
Orchestra of the 18th century, Frans Brüggen
London Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (download)
New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Busch
London Symphony Orchestra, Yondani Butt
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Sylvain Cambreling (download)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Guido Cantelli
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Guido Cantelli
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung
Berliner Philharmoniker, André Cluytens
Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Staatskapelle Dresden, Sir Colin Davis
Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyi
Philharmonia Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi
London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia, Béla Drahos
Berliner Philharmoniker, Gustavo Dudamel (DVD)
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel
Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Edlinger
Ensemble Modern, Péter Eötvös
Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Gabriel Feltz
Hungarian State Orchestra, Janos Ferencsik (download)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Ferenc Fricsay
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Iván Fischer (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler (multiple versions)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler (multiple versions)
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Claire Gibault
SWR-Sinfonieorchester, Michael Gielen
SWR-Sinfonieorchester, Michael Gielen (DVD)
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carlo Maria Giulini
Les Dissonances, David Grimal
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
London Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Philippe Herreweghe
Northern Sinfonia of England, Richard Hickox (download)
Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck
Pro Musica Symphony de Vienne, Jascha Horenstein
Hanover Band, Monica Huggett
Wurtembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Norichika Iimori (download)
Anima Eterna Orchestra, Jos van Immerseel
Anima Eterna Orchestra, Jos van Immerseel (DVD)
Concertgebouw Orchetra, Mariss Jansons
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons (DVD/Blu-ray)
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Paavo Järvi
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Paavo Järvi (DVD)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eugen Jochum (download)
London Symphony Orchestra, Eugen Jochum
Orchestre De Chambre Oratorio, Dominique Jonckheere
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan (3 CD versions)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan (DVD) 1957
Philharmonia Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan (multiple versions)
Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan (DVD)
Dresdner Philharmonie, Herbert Kegel (download)
Staatskapelle Orchestra Dresden, Rudolf Kempe
Münchner Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe
Slovenská filharmónia, Noriaki Kitamura (download)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber
Berlin Philharmonic, Erich Kleiber
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Erich Kleiber (download)
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Erich Kleiber
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Erich Kleiber
Berliner Philharmoniker, Otto Klemperer
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (download)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (multiple studio and live versions)
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Berliner Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch (download)
Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Konig (download)
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Franz Konwitschny (download)
La Chambre Philharmonique, Emmanuel Krivine
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik (2 versions?)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Rafael Kubelík
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelík
Haydn Orchestra Of Bolzano And Trento, Gustav Kuhn

(continued in post 2)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rene Leibowitz (download)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Ferdinand Leitner
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Edouard Lindenberg
Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Peter Maag
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur (download)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (DVD)
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, Willem Mengelberg
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ingo Metzmacher
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
The Standard Symphony Orchestra (San Francisco), Pierre Monteux
London Symphony Orchestra, Wyn Morris
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Evgeny Mravinsky
Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Helmut Muller-Bruhl (download)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch (DVD)
Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano
Radio Symphony Orchestra Ljubljana, Anton Nanut (download)
Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, John Nelson (download)
London Classical Players, Sir Roger Norrington
RSO Stuttgart, Sir Roger Norrington
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (download)
The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, Willem van Otterloo
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Saito Kinen Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (2 versions)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Victor de Sabata (downlo
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen (download)
National Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (download)
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Carl Schuricht
London Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Ignat Solzhenitsyn (download)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti (DVD)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Horst Stein
Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Stokowski
Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski
All American Youth Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski (download)
Leopold Stokowski (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Richard Strauss
Suddeutsche Philharmonie Orchester, Hans Swarovsky
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, George Szell (DVD)
Cleveland Orchestra,George Szell
Concertgebouw Orchestra, George Szell
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, George Szell
Wiener Philharmoniker, George Szell
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester et al, Eugen Szénkar (download)
Philharmonia Hungarica, Eugene Szenkar (download)
Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Gábor Takácz-Nagy (DVD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
Philharmonia Orchestra, Christian Thielemann
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-ray)
San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini (multiple versions)
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini (DVD)
New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Orchestre de la Francophonie, Jean-Phillipe Tremblay
Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä
Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Tamás Vásáry (download)
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York, Bruno Walter
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Günter Wand
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Günter Wand
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Günter Wand
Tafelmusik Orchestra, Bruno Weil
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Felix Weingartner (download)
British Symphony Orchestra, Felix Weingartner
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Walter Weller
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Henry Wood
Philharmonia Orchestra, Benjamin Zander
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, David Zinman
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden


transcribed for piano solo by Franz Liszt:

Idil Biret
Glenn Gould
Leslie Howard
Yury Martynov
Konstantin Scherbakov


arr. Carl Czerny for piano four hands:

Vicky Yannoula, George-Emmanuel Lazaridis


transcribed for bassoon quartet:

Leitzinger Bassoon Quartet



arr Hummel for chamber group:

Van Swieten Society


arr saxophone quintet:

Quintessence Saxophone Quintet

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The number of characters required exceeded the 10,000 limit, so the list of available recordings spilt over on to a second post.

[Bryn]

I think the Gould Liszt transcription is also on CD, (disc 33 in the Columbia re-mastered box).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[pastoralguy]

Hasn't Beethoven 5 been done comparatively recently? Maybe 7 or 8 years ago? Have all the other Beethoven symphonies been covered in that time? I'm sure the first and second symphonies haven't been BAL'd recently.

[Beef Oven!]

I bet they'll leave some out.

[Petrushka]

And so we come to what must surely be the most impossible BaL imaginable. The sheer magnitude of the task before the reviewer would be enough to call this not just impossible but foolhardy.

For myself, I find that the scherzo repeat, once heard in context, becomes a vital part of the experience so restricting my choice to those very few versions that include it (not sure which they are), I'm going for BPO/Abbado in the Rome concert recording.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGSUjuSBt1A

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I bet they'll leave some out.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hasn't Beethoven 5 been done comparatively recently? Maybe 7 or 8 years ago? Have all the other Beethoven symphonies been covered in that time? I'm sure the first and second symphonies haven't been BAL'd recently.

A new verb?

[Bryn]

And so we come to what must surely be the most impossible BaL imaginable. The sheer magnitude of the task before the reviewer would be enough to call this not just impossible but foolhardy.

For myself, I find that the scherzo repeat, once heard in context, becomes a vital part of the experience so restricting my choice to those very few versions that include it (not sure which they are), I'm going for BPO/Abbado in the Rome concert recording.

So, who's going to volunteer to sort out which recordings have the Allegro third movement repeat?

[BBMmk2]

Isn't Leslie Howard's recording on Hyperion, available?

[Tony Halstead]

The number of characters required exceeded the 10,000 limit, so the list of available recordings spilt over on to a second post.

The Hanover Band's recording on the 'Nimbus' label was actually 'directed' from the violin by Monica Huggett, not conducted by Roy Goodman.

[Roehre]

There must be hundreds of reasons to make another hundred or so recordings of this underrated masterpiece