Jon Johanning ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Certainly there are so many recordings of Beethoven, and he is such
>a monument of Western music and is so intensively studied by every
>up-and-coming musician, that there is no shortage of "great" performances
>of old Louie.

How true.  If I might suggest the original poster consult my Beethoven
Symphony survey (alas, overdue for an update, but many of my main
recommendations stand, although I'm not sure Harnoncourt lasts as well
as I expected him to) at

   http://www.camosun.bc.ca/~dbarker/beethoven.html

It will save my typing it all over again here (fat chance!)

I don't believe any one conductor has a monopoly on insights intohe Nine,
nor do I believe any one conductor conducted all equally well (even
Furtwaengler, whom I believe to be the greatest overall Beethoven
conductor) wasn't much in sympathy with the 2nd.

I'd go along with many of the recommendations already given, although I'd
take Leibowitz over Szell in the speedy stakes and Bru"ggen over Gardiner
and the rest put together in the HIP stakes (although Goodman's 9th is
pretty good).  His, IMHO, is the only HIP cycle with great rather than
merely good performances (his Eroica and 9th in particular).

I'm assuming our original questioner was seeking modern(ish) stero
recordings.

If you want to take historical, that's a whole nother kettle of fish.

Deryk Barker
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