I wrote: >>I occasionally sampled Ansermet's Beethoven, especially the Ninth, but >>have to agree with John Culshaw, producer for Decca at the time, who >>said that this was not Ansermet's or the Suisse Romande's strength, >>though Decca liked him enough to let him record Beethoven and even Brahms. John Symth replied: >Yes, I'm probably transfixed by the amazing, unique sound of the L'OSR >and the way it was captured, more so than Ansermet's interpretation. Easy to do. It's not as if I don't have a load of Ansermet myself. >There are some on the 'net that feel that Culshaw's statement was a >little unfair. Speaking of an affinity for French music, the playfulness >of the Beethoven 7th strikes me as slightly Ravelian, if I may say so, >and there is that tender little reprise of the opening woodwind theme >towards the end of the 1st mov't that sound like something right out of >Ravel's Mother Goose Ballet. Maybe Beethoven *is* a great composer after >all.:) Could be. I didn't listen to that much of his Beethoven, save for the Ninth and one other disc I don't recall. I can see your point about the Seventh. Problem is, that's the Beethoven symphony I like the least. (Hey, maybe A can make me a convert.) >As for the Walter 6th, yes: the opening steals into the room...magical. >I once rescued an early pressing from a tall stack of albums which had >become a cat scratching post. I almost didn't recognise the stack as >records. I've seen cats do in speakers, but gads! Roger Hecht