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I recently bought Haitink's recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony on the LSO-live label and I am deeply dissappointed.I have heard worse, but I expected so much more. Haitink is usually such a wonderful conductor and musician but he seems to have lost his passion. The performance sounded as if the conductor had fallen asleep. It was very underpowered and lacked drama, impact, passion, depth or any point of view. I feel Haitink has done a disservice to Beethoven. If he had nothing (important) to say with Beethoven's Ninth, he should not have recorded it. I know they wanted a complete cycle but this is just a filler.
The SACD sonics were nothing special either. I have heard much better on CD. It's SACD's like this one that do the format a disservice. SACD needs to sound dramatically better than CD to justify it's existence. It can but this SACD fails to show this.
For those who have not yet bought this version of Beethoven's 9th, I say skip it and get the Vanska instead. I will get that one next. The critics are just raving about it right now.
Follow Ups:
You've got to be kidding, right? I know opinions can differ widely, but I can't understand how anyone could find Haitink's new 9th lacking in drama, impact, or passion. "Fallen asleep"??? Quite the opposite, I think. I've followed his (recorded) career closely since his heyday with the Concertgebouw back in the 60's, and if anything, he was going steadily downhill and becoming increasingly stodgy and boring since the mid-80's or so. His new Beethoven series finds him completely turned around and revitalized, with energy to burn. As far as the 9th goes, no other version I've heard (and I've heard many) is as forceful or dynamic as this one. I can't remember when I've been more excited over a recording of this symphony. (I should say that I haven't yet heard the much-praised Vanska, though I did hear an excerpt from it on the free CD included with the December Gramophone magazine, and I didn't find it especially convincing.)I also find the sonics on the Haitink very satisfying--not ideal, perhaps, but much, much better than usual from this source. I like the close-up perspective, and it doesn't sound dry and claustrophobic like other LSO Live recordings. It seems like the engineers have finally found out how to get decent recorded sound from the Barbican!
I think the Haitink 9th, in fact the entire set of 9 syms, is fantastic in both performance and sound. I listen in stereo (with Hafler-type ambience extraction for rear speakers). The 9th is exciting, energetic and passionate IMO. Not sure what you were listening to - you seem to be in a small minority in your opinion on this recording. I also have the Vanska which I like just about as well as the Haitink. Sonics are a little farther back than the LSO but still very, very good.
Mark
HowdyI disagree on many levels. So it goes :) Not that I'm a Beethoven interpretation expert... But I enjoy the whole set. Perhaps it has something to do with listening in MC?
Do you have any of the Vanska LvB symphony recordings? Which do you prefer? TIA!
Robert,
I have all of the released Bis/LVB syms releases as well as the Haitink LSO boxed set. Performance-wise, I have a hard time picking between these two sets (at least for the performances that are common to the two - Bis will eventually get around to releasing syms 1,2,6,7). Both series are exciting. Sonically, I have a slight preference for the Haitink's close-up sound. The Bis recording are very, very fine too with an incredible dynamic range but I slightly prefer the LSO Live sound because of its visceral immediacey. You can't go wrong with either - or both!
Mark
HowdyIf I do I don't remember then clearly enough to make a valid comparison. I still have some SACDs that I purchased before Aug 2005 in boxes from my move and tho I did a quick look I didn't see any BIS Beethovens. I know I haven't purchased any BIS Beethovens since then (since I have them better categorized.) The covers look familiar, but that must be from seeing them in the store every week or two.
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