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2CD Royal P.O./Thomas Beecham
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By farm boy
Format:Audio CD
Unlike another reviewer my discs were perfect. The performances are perfect as well. The recordings are beautiful being clear, well balanced and having a pleasant body to the sound which gives an added bounce to these compositions. These must rate as some of the best perfomances of these symphonies and would make a worthwhile addition to any collection. The two cds in one slim case also makes this a very attractive bargain.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good sound for the age of recordings, good value except that I find the conductor's tempi a bit slow for my liking in the minuet and andante's. It feels like there a loss of a sense of the melodic phrases and a bit too old school for my taste. If you prefer more dynamic and brisker tempi more in keeping with the period's practices then explore the likes of Colin Davis or Franz Bruggen for a fresher choice of interpretations of these works on CD.
By Jimmyr
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
An excellent recording and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Beech as usual setting a very high standard for the orchestra.
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
To get one issue out of the way, there is no technical fault in my copy of this set either in the last track of the second disc (as reported by some American collectors) or elsewhere.
What a relief, because this is heavenly stuff. These symphonies date from Haydn's later years, specifically his last visit to London. The performances are also among the last in Beecham's long career, and so they too reflect his final maturity. Between them, composer and interpreter seem to me to personify the quality that Aristotle identified as the main purpose of our existence. He called it `eudaimonia', which in my opinion does not mean happiness but means living in harmony with the gods. Beecham did not believe in God, but some god or gods seem to have believed in Beecham, because to this day I can think of no conductor whose work is so characterised by elegance. That does not imply any lack of power when called for, but it is a quality that matches the music of Haydn to something like perfection. Grace, shapeliness, proportion, whimsy wit and humour of course too - these are the main characteristics of Haydn. Beecham was in love with the idiom, and he can convey everything that it expresses. There are some famous `effects' in these symphonies, and the commentators have rather over-commented on them in my own opinion. The start of # 103 with its drum roll and the portentous phrases that come next foreshadow the 19th century and romanticism certainly, but the `ticking' in the `clock' symphony is graceful rather than quirky or comic, and gracefully is how Beecham does it. Again, Beecham does not overplay the `Turkish' music that has earned symphony # 100 its nickname of `military', because this was simply a piece of orchestral colouring that 18th century masters used for occasional variety.... Read more ›
What a relief, because this is heavenly stuff. These symphonies date from Haydn's later years, specifically his last visit to London. The performances are also among the last in Beecham's long career, and so they too reflect his final maturity. Between them, composer and interpreter seem to me to personify the quality that Aristotle identified as the main purpose of our existence. He called it `eudaimonia', which in my opinion does not mean happiness but means living in harmony with the gods. Beecham did not believe in God, but some god or gods seem to have believed in Beecham, because to this day I can think of no conductor whose work is so characterised by elegance. That does not imply any lack of power when called for, but it is a quality that matches the music of Haydn to something like perfection. Grace, shapeliness, proportion, whimsy wit and humour of course too - these are the main characteristics of Haydn. Beecham was in love with the idiom, and he can convey everything that it expresses. There are some famous `effects' in these symphonies, and the commentators have rather over-commented on them in my own opinion. The start of # 103 with its drum roll and the portentous phrases that come next foreshadow the 19th century and romanticism certainly, but the `ticking' in the `clock' symphony is graceful rather than quirky or comic, and gracefully is how Beecham does it. Again, Beecham does not overplay the `Turkish' music that has earned symphony # 100 its nickname of `military', because this was simply a piece of orchestral colouring that 18th century masters used for occasional variety.... Read more ›
5 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Estrada
Format:Audio CD
I was so excited when I purchased this double CD. I was so amazed at the performances. I heard about Beecham conducting Haydn's London symphonies until I got to the last symphony in these recordings. To be exact, in the middle of the last movement of symphony 104 the CD skips and hangs something furious. I played it on my CD component player, my computer, my DVD player, and finally my walkman with the same result, skipping and hanging at the same point of the CD. Hoping that it was just a lemon CD I returned the CD for another only to find it had the same error at the same point of the recording. To say the least I am so disappointed. If these errors were not present I would have rated this double CD a perfect "5 stars." Are there any other Haydn / Beecham recordings that are as clear as these? Without the errors of course.
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