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| Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos | 
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| Creators: Hans Hotter, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Otto Klemperer, Christa Ludwig, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra Of London, Daniel Barenboim, Aase Nordmo Lovberg, Aase Nordmo-lovberg, Waldemar Kmentt
Label: EMI Classics
Category: Music
List Price: $62.98
Buy New: $37.97
You Save: $25.01 (40%)
Buy New/Used from $34.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (26 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3160
Format: Box Set, Limited Edition, Original Recording Reissued
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 9
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 5 x 1.1
UPC: 724357389525
EAN: 0724357389525
ASIN: B00004YA0S
Release Date: November 7, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Andante Cantabile Con Moto | | • | III: Menuetto & Trio: Allegro Molto E Vivace | | • | IV: Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace | | • | I: Allegro Ma Non Troppo | | • | II: Andante Molto Mosso | | • | III: Allegro - In Tempo D'allegro - Tempo I | | • | IV: Allegro | | • | V: Allegretto |
Disc 2
| • | I: Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assai | | • | III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro Vivace | | • | IV: Finale: Allegro Molto - Poco Andante - Presto | | • | Gross Fuge |
Disc 3
| • | I: Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Larghetto | | • | III: Scherzo & Trio: Allegro | | • | IV: Allegro Molto | | • | I: Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Andante Con Moto - Piu Mosso - Tempo I | | • | III: Allegro - | | • | IV: Allegro - Presto |
Disc 4
| • | I: Adagio - Allegro Vivace | | • | II: Adagio | | • | III: Menuetto: Allegro Vivace - Trio: Un Poco Meno Allegro | | • | IV: Allegro Ma Non Troppo | | • | I: Poco Sostenuto - Vivace | | • | II: Allegretto | | • | III: Presto - Assai Meno Presto | | • | IV: Allegro Con Brio |
Disc 5
| • | I: Allegro Vivace Con Brio | | • | II: Allegretto Scherzando | | • | III: Tempo Di Menuetto | | • | IV: Allegro Vivace | | • | Overture | | • | Overture | | • | Overture | | • | Overture |
Disc 6
| • | I: Allegro Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - Christa Ludwig | | • | II: Molto Vivace - Presto - Christa Ludwig | | • | III: Adagio Molto E Cantabile - Andante Moderato - Christa Ludwig | | • | IV: Presto - Recitativo - Allegro Assai - Alla Marcia - Christa Ludwig | | • | Overture - Christa Ludwig |
Disc 7
| • | I: Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Largo | | • | III: Rondo: Allegro Scherzando | | • | I: Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Adagio | | • | III: Rondo: Molto Allegro |
Disc 8
| • | I: Allegro Con Brio | | • | II: Largo | | • | III: Rondo: Allegro | | • | I: Allegro Moderato | | • | II: Andante Con Moto | | • | III: Rondo: Vivace |
Disc 9
| • | Fantasia For Piano, Chorus And Orchestra | | • | I: Allegro | | • | II: Adagio Un Poco Mosso - | | • | III: Rondo: Allegro |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential recording
Otto Klemperer's Beethoven is one of the towering achievements in the history of recordings. By today's standards, these performances are hopelessly old-fashioned: dark, heavy, and frequently very slow. But they are also the grandest, most unsentimental, most purposeful versions in the catalog. In addition, the relatively slow tempos (only in the fast movements--the slow ones are pretty swift) and forward wind balance permit more detail to be heard than in most original-instrument performances. At budget price and with the entire piano concerto cycle thrown in for good measure, this is greatness incarnate. --David Hurwitz
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 strange fifth first movement April 5, 2008
I had to get this set after trying to get through the ninth on the Cluytens set, which I found to be a total disaster, though I liked the 5,6 and 7th. I'm holding off on the rest of that set, but, has anyone noticed two very odd sounding brief passages about 3/4 of the way into the first movement of the Klemperer recording of the 5th? I've liked the 6th, 7th and 8th, and haven't gotten to the rest. Somewhat slow at times, but that has never been an issue for me, and they all have a kind of thrust and weight that the Cluytens lack though I like both approaches. So, I'm interested in hearing from people about these two odd passages in the latter part of the 5th, first movement, where there is a sharp loss of volume and an emphasis on a brief passage that repeats twice and isn'tlike any other I've ever heard. Thanks, Gary
What's not to like? March 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For me, this is the top choice for stereo Beethoven cycles. Klemperer conducted with a grandeur that is sadly not to be found among today's conductor's. His "Eroica" is still among the best around alongside Furtwangler, Abendroth & Weingartner. His 9th is easily a top 10 choice, behind a couple by Furtwangler (of course), Weingartner, Reiner and Fricsay. The rest of the set is also very solid, especially 4 and 6 (one of the very best, after Walter and Bohm) without a subpar performance in the bunch. As an added bonus, you get a high caliber set of the piano concertos by Barenboim and Klemperer, though not quite of the quality of Fleisher/Szell or Kempff/Van Kempen. When you factor in the cost (You can usually find it for under $40) this great set is a steal.
Great performances February 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
These are classic, fine performances of the Beethoven symphonic and piano concerto canon by one of the great artists of the 20th century. They are not necessarily the most passionate or electrifying of Klemperer's recorded legacy; those belong to many of the live performances recorded from the early 1950's through the early 1960's. So why get this set (besides the price, which is a steal)?
The answer is that these are by far the best recorded of Klemperer's Beethoven performances and showcase his extraordinarily meticulous attention to balance, phrasing and dynamics. Always present is the nearly unique command of long-term tension and release, the command of the structure of each symphony or concerto as a whole, and the innate sense of musical drama which makes his performances so satisfying. The Philharmonia is ideally suited to Klemperer's vision, with its sure-footed brass, solo-quality first-chair winds and elegant but light strings. Klemperer may not have cared particularly about orchestral sound - his was most often called granitic -- but the results are certainly beautiful. And the recorded sound allows us to hear all of this. EMI lavished its skills on these recordings, making them in the marvelous acoustics of Kingsway hall; they sound warm, detailed and natural.
Klemperer's vision of Beethoven is powerful and uncompromising. Yes, the tempi are slow in the faster movements, but there is a fierce intelligence and indominable spirit that radiates through these performances and makes them towering and, at their best, earth-shaking. Klemperer had a special affinity for Beethoven. Both men's lives were compromised by chronic health issues and pain: for Beethoven, the deafness and chronic indigestion and bowel-problems; for Klemperer, the brain tumor, resulting partial paralysis, broken bones, and the manic-depression. Both men were notoriously cranky and crabby. And yet both men created (or recreated) music which expresses the human spirit's triumph over adversity as well as music of extraordinary beauty.
No-one would call Klemperer's Beethoven crisp or fleet. Even though he was a truly 20th century conductor in eschewing the rhetorical gestures of romanticism and focusing on the holy writ of the score, he was enough of a child of 19th century Germany to favor a massive and hortatory approach, with prominent brass, thundering tympani and dramatic underlining.
In the concerti, the young Barenboim and the old Klemperer seem to cancel out each other's idiosynracies to produce some of the finest performances of the concerti on record. Again, these are recorded in splendid sound which barely shows its age.
At this price, there is no reason not to purchase this set. Whether this will be your favorite Beethoven symphony set will depend on your personal taste; but it is important enough to reward your careful listening, even if it's only from time to time.
Majestic December 20, 2007
Otto Klemperer... I admire him very much. Because, he conducted and performed the music just it should be, in the manner directly of composer. He didn't add his personal feelings to music, like Karajan. He just interpreted in the way, how it must be. And his majestic, grand character directly touches the soul of the listener.
Especially, in Beethoven and Mahler (who personally know him), he is really referance. In that box-set, you will find the darkest, most noble, unsentimental but so deep, most philosophic readings of the Beethoven Symphonies. Klemperer, as you know, sometimes takes the tempi slower than normal, but because of the all notes must be heared cleanly and the all notes must have an meaningful expression. You will impressed especially when you listen 3 (Eroica), 5 and of course 9th Sym. By the way, this set includes so impressive Leonore No. 3 and dramatic Coriolan Overtures, they are really worth to listen and experience the majesty of Klemperer.
By the way, Piano Concertos are very good too. Barenboim is a good pianist, who have a very beautiful color when he's playing. He has a deep character too, but everyone is not love always his performances. OK, he is not Wilhelm Kempff, but anyway, he is a great musician.
But, you should buy that, especially for Klemperer's performances of Symphonies. Highly recommended.
 Flawed CDs August 1, 2007
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have ordered this set and then returned it and had a replacement set sent. Both sets have had one CD that has music missing in bits and pieces. I assume that all sets have been cut from the same master set, since both sets I have received are flawed.
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