The Greatest Recording EVER! Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7

Petition for a new repertoire video for Beethoven's 9th the existing one only has 3 recordings and for such a masterpiece there must be more, thank you.

I remember seeing Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut in 1999 just after he died and as I sat there watching it entranced I was thinking "We will never see cinema like this ever again," and it has largely come to pass. When this Honeck/Beethoven recording came out and you recommended it, I was thinking the great recordings of Beethoven are in the past, but this astonishingly refreshing and renewing recording convinced me otherwise. You don't have to beat a dead warhorse, just show it some love and fresh consideration and take off.

Wooooaahhhhh never heard this, that these aren't Kleiber's 😮

It’s a small detail, but the first theme in the finale of the 7th here is, at least in my opinion, a great example of how fast tempos aren’t the only way of making the music exciting. It is of course on the quicker side, but a huge chunk of the energy really comes from the balances. In the first repeated section, you can clearly hear the second violins and violas. They’re nowhere near overpowering, but they’re just prominent (and recorded well) enough to not get buried under everyone else. And since they’re the only parts playing straight sixteenth notes, it’s a detail that matters and gives the music a lot of forward momentum. Then in the second repeated section, the way the horns are brought out creates a cool, almost call-and-response effect between them and the melody, which has a really fresh feeling that keeps both rhythms from starting to sound too weighty (which is what very often happens in bad recordings; it just becomes a slog right away). It’s really great stuff.

I could gush about these recordings for a while. They’re among my all-time favorites, and it’s great to see them mentioned in this series. Thanks for the video!

A marvellous conductor. If only he had got the Chicago job!

I’m fortunate enough to see Honeck and the PSO play. It’s a high quality orchestra that responds well to its conductor. I love these recordings and his 7th is one of my personal favorites.

I agree wholeheartedly! Even about Carlos Kleiber’s famed recording, which I never liked as much as Solti’s mostly under-the-radar Vienna performances of 5 and 7, for excitement and certainly not expression. You turned me on to Honeck a few years ago and so glad you did

Glad to hear Honeck getting these kudos. I only wish he recorded more often.

I wish Honeck recorded more. I have just seen another fabulous concert with him and the Israel PO. He did a Haydn 93 which was probably the greatest Haydn live symphony I have even seen ( alongside no 100 he did here in Israel some 8-9 years ago). I which he had done Haydn recordings … at least the London symphonies

Listening here in the UK, these US orchestra-driven labels are essential for showing us where US orchestral life is at - not just Honeck and Pittsburg (which is a totally superb series of records), but the Seattle Symphony's series as well and Cleveland/Welser-Most (and, I suppose, Philadelphia and Nezet-Seguin on DG). I'd also add that Honeck's own (extensive) notes to these recordings are very good - they really open up the music and help explain some of his interpretative choices.

I think you forgot to edit in “the Ninth” clip near the start

How timely, just as Presto Music is running a sale in this!

LOVE the swinging octaves in the horns he brings out towards the start of the finale of the 7th and all the subsequent repetitions. i've never heard that before in any other performance (19 seconds in) but not meaningless point making at the expense of the bigger picture. One of many details which Honeck brings to the fore. Excellent /old school style cover as well.

These really are fabulous performances and the sound on SACD is awesome, what more could would want?

Dave. Sorry if you've spoken about him in a previous video, but what are your thoughts on Karajan and his interpretation of Beethoven?

all the more impressive that these are both live performances. thank you for highlighting a recording worthy of it !

Hi Dave, I've being enjoying inmensely all your reviews. I was wandering if You could make a review of the Beethoven symphonies cycle with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra.