Jeff Grossman <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>Hello, everyone.  I was hoping that I could get some thoughts from the list
>about a generally good set of the Beethoven symphonies.  I bought a cheap
>set a few years ago, but I'm now at the point where the interpretations and
>quality of the set consistently disappoint me.  I want to get a full-priced
>set, but there are so many options, I have no idea which to choose.

I think most listeners would steer you correctly toward Karajan and the
Berlin PO on Deutsche Gramophone.  BUT, be sure it's the 1962 recorded
version, not the later one.  This is the quintessential recording.  There
are other excellent recordings, including John Elliott Gardner on DG and
Nickolaus Harnoncourt on Teldec.  Szell and Ormandy on Sony are excellent
add-ons for later on (although I find Ormandy too lush).  Bruno Walter is
another good alternative.  Kurt Masur and the Leipzig on Philips Duo is not
a bad choice, and the cost is half price.  If price were a consideration,
I'd still recommend the Karajan first.  Klemperer and Mackerras are two
other conductors I am very fond of, both recorded on EMI.  Mackerras'
recordings are also available on MHS, I think, as are Walter Weller
(whose recordings I inherently dislike).

D. Stephen Heersink
San Francisco