Leonard Bernstein - Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Overtures, Violin Concerto - Sony Classical Masters [Box set]

As any educated buyer will know, no complete set of Beethoven symphonies is entirely ideal. I own six sets, ranging from Toscanini to Vanska, all of which are to be commended for a variety of reasons. For me, this survey by Bernstein is the most consistently dramatic, a real "tour de force". Granted, some of the "lighter" symphonies sometimes lack the polish and crispness that one might hear from a more contemporary period instrument ensemble. However, the guile and gusto of these weighty readings prove to be an equally engaging approach, breathing new life these works (no mean feat, given that they are so well-known). Bernstein's 7th rivals Kleiber's famous account with the VPO for sheer intoxicating excitement, and the 3rd is extremely well-paced. The 9th, too, is wonderfully ebullient, as is the Finale of the 5th. (Even the rather sedate tempo of the 5th's first movement begins to grow on the listener after a while.) What's more, the overtures and Isaac Stern's memorable rendition of the Violin Concerto make for some excellent bonus listening. A real treat!

Not only does the tempo of the first movement of the 5th grow on you, but if, like me you grew up with this recording (it was the first record I ever bought at 10), the usual faster tempo one hears seems rushed and unnuanced. I was listening to my von Karajan recording the other day and thought it sounded so weak and vapid, that I went in search of the Bernstein NYSO version and imagine my delight in finding all the symphonies, etc., for what I would gladly have paid for what I consider the best recording of just one! I am looking forward to hearing all the rest.

Beethoven Symphonies 1 - 9. New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Julliard Chorus. With Martina Arroyo, Norman Scott, Regina Sarfaty and Nicholas di Virgilio. Conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded from 1962 to 1969. CBS/Sony:

Bernstein's first cycle with the New York Philharmonic is thoroughly powerful and deeply committed. Almost all of the performances are enjoyable and Bernstein's way with this great music is distinctive. The individual performances range from transcendent musical experiences to ordinary takes. Yet Bernstein's firm vision of each of these works merits hearing. The one major disappointment is the Ninth. Whilst Bernstein secures some taut and dramatic playing, the choral and solo singing is poor. Unfortunately, the Julliard Chorus do not meet the demands of their task and none of the four soloists sing well, make any lasting impression, or blend well as a quartet. In particular, the tenor sounds like he is going to explode in the high register. He sounds like a Wagnerian tenor who has just returned from singing Tristan and Tannhauser in one day. Bernstein's speeds are also a little fast in the finale and some of the great moments in this masterpiece are obscured as a result. Additionally, the orchestral playing in the finale is less impressive than earlier on.

However, in the Fifth Symphony, Bernstein scores one of the truly inspired interpretations of his career. This is Beethoven playing from another world: to say that I was moved by this performance is an understatement. Critics would dismiss this interpretation as eccentric and I suppose it is Bernstein's slow tempi that are responsible for that rebuke. I found that these speeds present more vividly the drama and stamping force of Beethoven's great creation. The tempos also allow the anguish and pathos to be so vivid. The so called 'fate motif' has rarely been expressed with such force and clarity. In terms of instrumental balance, the timpani gets a fabulous showing and those menacing strokes all through the first movement are electrifying. The horns in the third movement have a great spaciousness around them. The whole work is a tribute to the engineers, the New York Philharmonic and especially Bernstein. The interpretation has an upward thrust to it: the menacing despair of the first movement moves inexorably towards a final joyful outburst. This is one of my favourite recordings: a desert island disc indeed.

The other works here receive generally good performances. The Pastoral is unusually fierce and dramatic, which is refreshing, although the piccolo is obscured in the storm sequence and it is such a delightful touch that it seems empty without it. This is a minor point perhaps. The Seventh is deeply impassioned, very much in the line of the Fifth: the string playing is particularly good in the first movement. However, the one interpretation for which Bernstein's early cycle is renown that was less convincing to me is the Eroica. This is one of his most famous records and has a strong following. However, I found it to be a fairly routine take on a revolutionary work. There was nothing wrong with the recording, I just found that there was nothing truly outstanding. Solti and Karajan both score massively in this symphony due to a combination of polish, respect for the quiet as well as the boisterous, and finely judged tempi. The Second, Fourth and Eighth are all magnificent, the Fourth in particular is outstandingly atmospheric and exciting.

In general, this cycle is a fine one and I seem to come back to it time and again, constantly intrigued by the way Bernstein has something different to say in most of these great symphonies. I should add a comment about the outstanding work of the New York Philharmonic here. Whilst I suppose it goes without saying that they would put in good performances in such repertoire, they even surpass their European counterparts on occasion with the playing often reaching dizzying heights (again, that breathtaking Fifth is proof positive). Finally, the recording is excellent throughout, beautifully transparent, spacious and there is not a touch of dryness or tape hiss. Recommended with vigour. The only reason I don't rate it a full five starts is because of a poor Ninth and my disappointing reaction to his Eroica.