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Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies | 
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| Artists: Ludwig Van Beethoven, David Zinman, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $29.98
Buy New: $20.00
You Save: $9.98 (33%)
New (31) Used (7) from $20.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 8270
Format: Box Set
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 4.8 x 2.1
MPN: 65410
UPC: 743216541027
EAN: 0743216541027
ASIN: B00000IFP6
Release Date: April 27, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand new; never opened; bar code marked, otherwise, MINT!! ACTUALLY IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP IMMEDIATELY!! DON'T BE DECEIVED BY ABSURDLY LOW PRICES ON THIS ITEM!!
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Adagio molto - Allegro con brio | | • | Andante cantabile con moto | | • | Menuetto, Allegro molto e vivace | | • | Finale, Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace | | • | Adagio molto / Allegro con brio | | • | Larghetto | | • | Scherzo, Allegro | | • | Allegro molto |
Disc 2
| • | Allegro con brio | | • | Andante con moto | | • | Allegro | | • | Allegro | | • | Allegro ma non troppo | | • | Andante molto moto | | • | Allegro | | • | Allegro | | • | Allegretto |
Disc 3
| • | Poco sostenuto - Vivace | | • | Allegretto | | • | Presto | | • | Allegro con brio | | • | Allegro vivace e con brio | | • | Allgretto scherzando | | • | Tempo di Meneutto | | • | Allegro vivace |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential recording
If you're looking for a real bargain set of Beethoven's complete symphonies, look no further. David Zinman leads the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich through the big nine. Unconventional--this is the world-premiere, modern-instrument recording of the New Barenreiter Edition (translation: slight variations in the scoring)--and with Zinman's typically fast tempos, these are spirited, though probably not definitive, performances. Herbert Von Karajan's 1963 cycle of Beethoven's symphonies must still be considered the essential versions and, costing only 10 dollars more than this set, it's just as much of a bargain. But, for Beethoven lovers on a tight budget, folks looking to add one more Beethoven cycle to their music library, or experts who want to hear what the fuss of the Barenreiter Edition is about, this set shouldn't be passed up. Zinman and Tonhalle have delivered a winner, with excellent sound and a great sticker price. --Jason Verlinde
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| Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...
 Magnificent achievement that changed the way I approach Beethoven November 15, 2008
David Zinman's approach to these 9 masterpieces, largely influenced by period performance, is electrifying and completely revelatory. The textures are immensely transparent and let the brilliant orchestration and composition material shine through. With speeds almost always on the fast side, this kind of transparency is even more impressive. The Tonhalle players are put to great challenge here and they come out totally unruffled.
Throughout, Zinman keeps rubato and romantic self-indulgence to a minimum, relying on the clear formal and rhythmic structures already present in the music to drive his performances. The result is fascinating. The listener will likely come out feeling like he was provided with a coherent and overall comprehensive reading of the piece rather than being entertained by minute romantic outbursts, pretty and gut-wrenching as they may be. This made me fully appreciate what is lost when Beethoven is performed like later symphonic masters; Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Mahler, etc. More than half a century separates Beethoven's symphonies from Tchaikovsky's (Beethoven's are actually closer in date to Mozart's!). It is therefore no surprise that a more "classical" performance is so successful.
My only reluctance concerns the 2-3 later symphonies of the set. These are more mature symphonies and, having been composed well into the 19th century, could have afforded a touch more "romanticism". This is especially obvious for the 9th, particularly in the 3rd movement which will shock most listeners whit its extreme speed. Still, even at break-neck speeds, Zinman is capable of remarkable tenderness and finesse in the slow movements.
The acoustics are optimal with vivid and well-balanced orchestral sections. The Tonhalle is on top form with dashing strings and phenomenal woodwind interjections (especially on the oboe). Among the myriads of other fine sets of these symphonies (Karajan, Szell, etc.), this is certainly the one that I would recommend getting, at any price! I would certainly not want to be without it!
Great recording of the Nine Symphonies! August 25, 2008
This recording is probably the best deal you'll find of the Beethoven Nine Symphonies, and to boot, they are all done remarkably well. I personally love each one individually, and I think the tempi in all of them are the best. Most notable tempi are 3, 4, 5, and 8.
The first and second are quite chraming, and have the perfect Beethoven flavor in them. The third has an excellent speed, and is exciting! I have never heard a better recording of the 4th, and it is now one of my favorite symphonies. The 5th is bold, and quick. I enjoyed the added repeat in the 3rd movement---it makes the movement feel more complete (did anyone else catch this?). Six is perfect. Seven is big and bombastical, like it should be. Eight is cute! The ninth is powerful, though the choir and some of the soloists aren't as good as other recordings I've heard (the men have trouble on their high notes). For a better recording, try the Karajan/Berlin recording (Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra).
All in all, this is one of the best compliations of the Nine Symphonies I've heard and HIGHLY recommend it! And for only $30? That's not even $3 a symphony!!
The 9 symphonies March 25, 2008
Simply the best work done on the 9 symphonies that I ever had the luck to come across. I had been searching for the ninth in particular with the best directors, orchestras, and labels, but they all seemed to lack in either interpretation or sound quality. This collection has to be the standard to compare all the other recordings.
 Float like a Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee March 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Some have criticized this set as being "light-weight" Beethoven. I am inclined to disagree. There is a certain lightness to these recordings, but it is more a general feeling of the orchestra being "light on it's feet," as opposed to simply being light-weight. I am reminded of Ali's famous saying "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." That is exactly what these recordings do, they may have a lighter feeling that normal for these works, but the power does not fail to come through when needed.
As most people have said in their reviews, the tempos used by Zinman and his band are ultra-quick. In most cases, the quick tempos work quite well, and are not a distraction in any way. Of course, there are exceptions. I have heard a few people complain that the second movement of the fifth is taken too quickly. I do not agree, the fifth here is one of the best I have heard, slow movement, included.
However, the sixth and ninth symphonies seem to fare worst in fast tempos. The sixth is notoriously difficult to pull off convincingly, with most conductor's playing it too quickly, Zinman's quick tempos here just re-enforce the idea that this symphony should be played more slowly. However, it is worth noting that Zinman's rendition is no worse than other quick versions such as Karajan's.
The Ninth, my favorite, comes off slightly worse. The first movement seems good, as does the second, until the trio begins. Although I like the second movement played quickly, but the speed required to adequately contrast the trio in this rendition is just too much. The third movement, an "Adagio" is the worst though. It is played here as an Andante, and although this really emphasizes the lyrical beauty of the piece, it robs it of it's power which is much more important in this piece. The finale is too is quick, but for the most part it does work here. The tenor solo after the march is certainly too fast though.
The rest of the symphonies (1,2,3,4,5,7,8) all come accross very well though, with numbers 1, 2, and 4 perhaps being my favorite versions. The third might be my favorite, but for the famous slow funeral march being taken too quickly. Its speed is nowhere near as bad as in the ninth, but enough to prevent it from being a favorite.
The movement's where this cycle really shines is in the scherzos and finales. This is especially true of the third, fifth and seventh symphonies. I especially love that Zinman decided to take the repeat in the fifth's Scherzo. The Cello/Bass section solos in that piece send tingles down my spine and it is great to hear it twice.
Despite its shortcomings, this is still a four star set. There are certain parts that are not good, but the good parts are great. This is certainly a good place to start exploring Beethoven's symphonies, or a good way to expand your understanding of them.
**Also check out Zinman's renditions of the Beethoven Concerti. The quick tempos seem to work universally well in the concerti as opposed to the symphonies. It also seems that having another "equal" collaborator in the soloist may have eliminated some of Zinman's excesses in tempo.
David Zinman Conducts the Beethoven Symphonies October 18, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In our skeptical age, Beethoven's nine symphonies have been subjected to a degree of cavil and criticism in an attempt to shake the hold they have exercised over many generations of lovers of music. But, regardless of these attempts, in their grandeur, passion, variety, and depths of feeling, Beethoven's symphonies remain at the heart of music. Beethoven's symphonies are unique in the manner in which they reach out to the listener to produce involvement in the drama created by the score. Although only one symphony, the "Pastorale" has an explicitly programmatic content, it is difficult to hear these works without feeling Beethoven's effort to communicate to the listener feelings of the highest inspiration. The moods of the symphonies range widely from the humor of nos. 4 and 8, through the lyricism of the slow movement of no. 2, the "heroism" of nos. 3 and 5, and the grand hymn of no. 9. The symphonies cover the course of Beethoven's entire compositional career. The First Symphony, which is much indebted to Haydn and Mozart, is the product of Beethoven's young manhood in Vienna while the Ninth, completed in 1824, is separated from its nearest predecessors by 12 years. Symphonies 2 -- 8, in all their variety, are the product of an extraordinary productive decade of composition (1803 -- 1813).
On the whole the Beethoven symphonies are highly tonal and their melodies and strong repeated rhythms make them accessible even to relatively unsophisticated listeners. Beethoven is truly a composer with universal appeal. The symphonies have been a source of inspiration to me throughout my life. They are essential listening for those just coming to classical music.
Beethoven's the symphonies have been well-served on recordings, both for individual works and for compilations of the entire cycle. I have been rehearing and rethinking the Beethoven symphonies in this highly-acclaimed set recorded by the American conductor David Zinman (b. 1938) and the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich in the late 1990s. Zinman uses the new Barenreiter edition of the scores prepared by Jonathan Del Mar which makes numerous changes in orchestration from the earlier edition commonly used in performances.
Zinman offers period performances of Beethoven using modern instruments. Those listeners familiar with other recordings of the symphonies will notice at the outset the fast tempos. Zinman tends to avoid rubato (subtle shifts of tempo) and other romantic gestures, and the strings have a clean, simple sound. With the quick tempos, there is a lightness and a lyricism to Zinman's readings that is immediate and endearing. The tempos do not lead to a driving performance of these scores but rather to readings with a graceful, lilting quality. The orchestra has a transparent sound, and the winds come through prominently and beautifully. The impact of the Barenreiter edition varies from work to work, but I found it most pronounced in the "Eroica" symphony, with the violin solo in the finale, and in the Fourth symphony.
In this set, I enjoyed most the performances where Zinman brought new insight to these works; and I found these insights strongest in symphonies 3,4, and 7. The Symphony no. 3 "Eroica" is perhaps the greatest of the symphonies. In his tempos, vigor, and lightness, in the passages for winds and brass, and in the surprising violin solo in the finale, Zinman offers a splendid account. The Fourth Symphony, which remains the least heard of the nine, also receives an outstanding reading, especially in the lovely slow movement. In the Seventh Symphony, Zinman is superb in bringing out the rhythms and the many kinds of moving dance-like movement in the score. The second movement, allegretto, is taken at a faster than usual pace, but it captures the mixture of tragedy and joy that is inherent in this remarkable music. I also thought Zinman's reading of the Second symphony, a work on the cusp of his early and middle styles highly impressive. The weaker moments of the compilation include portions of the Ninth Symphony, especially the second movement, where I thought the tempo was too driven, and perhaps moments in the "Pastorale" symphony, which could have used more rhythmic variety in the finale. But Zinman still offers impressive readings of these works. Altogether, this is an outstanding set that will introduce the new listener to this music and that will have a great deal to offer those who have long loved the Beethoven symphonies.
Zinman's performances are on the budget-priced Arte Nova label. The symphonies are available in a 5-CD compilation or in five individually packaged single CDs.
Robin Friedman
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