Best sounding Beethoven ?

Got a last minute idea for Chrisrmas.Anybody got an opinion on the best sounding Beethoven symphonies on hybrid disc or CD?

 

Get the ASV SACD of the String 4tets Op.130 & 133 performed by the Lindsays. Not a symphony, but one of the very best sounding SACDs in existence. Yowza.

 

I think an almost unbeatable, classic interpretation of the 5th and 7th Symphony did Carlos Kleiber, as heard on Deutsche Grammophon Hybrid MCH SACD. But the recording isn't brand new...

Martin

 

Re: Re: Best sounding Beethoven ?

 

Re: Re: Best sounding Beethoven ?

I totally agree. This is simply two of the greatest interpretations you'll ever hear of Beethoven's symphonies, except maybe for Furtwangler's wartime interpretations.

 

Thank you for the responses.It's off to the store I go.

 

The Kleiber disc is a reference interpretation, but not a good recording, neither on CD or on SACD. It's one of those typical 70's Deutsche Grammophon recordings which are heavily multi-miked.

In addition to this, the SACD is made from 96kHt/24bit PCM transfers of the analog tapes

 

Claude, I recently acquired the Time Life DG Bi Centennial (20-volumes - huge) set on vinyl. Is this the type of recording?

Thanks.

 

I have a feeling almost all, if not most, of the older DG SACD recordings are made from a 96/24 PCM transfer of the analog tape. I have the Karajan Beethoven 9th from '76, and I just picked up the '63 Beethoven Symphony Karajan box set - and they are all sourced from 96/24 PCM from analog.

I guess DG has archived their recordings on PCM. What is funny is that it appears most of their recordins that were orginally analog, even if sourced from 96/24 PCM is going to SACD, while the full DDD recordings like the new Abbado Beethoven cycle is being released on DVD-Audio (and not SACD).

 

Yes, all analog tapes belonging to Universal Classics (Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips) are currently being archived in 96kHz/24Bit PCM at the Emil Berliner Studios. That's why even SACDs of analog material are made from PCM sources. The same is true for the latest Universal jazz reissues on SACD (Oscar Peterson MPS sessions, Sarah Vaughan).

But the biggest sonic problem of the Kleiber disc is the recording technology. Generally, the 60's DG recordings are much more natural sounding than the 70's sessions, because less microphones were used. The Kleiber recording does not sound bad, but it is far from being the "best sounding" Beethoven that Henry asked for.

 

For a regular CD version, the Ninth by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, conducted by Fritz Reiner is nice. This is a Mohr/Layton recording from 1961 -- RCA Gold Seal (BMG 09026-61795-2).

 

Check out Solti's recordings with the Chicago Symphony on DECCA.

 

Almost forgot one of my favorites -- Bruno Walter's old Columbia recording of the 6th ("Pastoral") reissued on SACD by Sony.