Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantabile con moto
3. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
4. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: 4. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
5. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 1. Adagio molto
6. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 2. Larghetto
7. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
8. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: 4. Allegro molto
9. Coriolan Overture, Op. 62

Disc 2:

1. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
3. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
4. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: 4. Finale. Allegro molto
5. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio
6. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 2. Allegretto scherzando
7. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 3. Tempo di Minuetto
8. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: 4. Allegro vivace

Disc 3:

1. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
2. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 2. Adagio
3. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 3. Allegro vivace
4. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: 4. Allegro ma non troppo
5. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 1. Allegro ma non troppo
6. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 2. Andante molto moto
7. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 3. Allegro
8. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 4. Allegro
9. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: 5. Allegretto

Disc 4:

1. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 2. Andante con moto
3. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 3. Allegro
4. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 4. Allegro
5. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
6. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 2. Allegretto
7. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 3. Presto
8. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: 4. Allegro con brio

Disc 5:

1. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 2. Molto vivace
3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 3. Adagio e molto cantabile
4. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: 4. Presto
5. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Rezitativo "O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!" - Allegro assai

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #493763 in Music
• Released on: 2003-01-01
• Number of discs: 5
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .49 pounds

Album Description
5 CD Box set. Columbia Legends Series.

Customer Reviews

Among the Best Beethoven Symphony recordings, even 45+ years after they were recorded...
Bruno Walter (1876-1962) made his final recording of the Beethoven Symphonies in 1959-60, as age and ill health had taken their toll on him, but it doesn't show, except perhaps in Symphony 9 of this cycle. Recorded with the Los Angeles based Columbia Symphony Orchestra, made up of members of the L.A. Philharmonic, plus studio and freelance musicians, Walter's Beethoven shows a connection with his studies with Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) and the great Austrian/German tradition of conductors. (Mahler's other students included Otto Klemperer and Oscar Fried, two other great 20th century conductors.)

All the Symphonies under Walter's leadership show a large string section, and juicy, Romantic sound. Walter does not observe repeats in Symphony 5: I and IV; Symphony 8: I, or Symphony 9: II, which today have become the standard. Walter emphasized strings over winds, which some listeners today will not be accustomed to. Tempos are usually moderate in First and last movements, which were usually faster under conductors like Szell and Ormandy.

Symphonies 2, 3, 4, and 6 are among the best ever committed to disc, and in stereo, too! Symphonies 1, 5, 7 and 8 are very good, but not as good as some competing recordings by Szell (1, and 7), Reiner/Chicago (5,7) or Scherchen (8). Symphony 9 is the only poor recording in the set: a badly cracked and very obvious trumpet note at the final climax in I is really disconcerting, and the chorus and soloists in IV seem to not be on Walter's wavelength: slow tempos mar the excitement which should be found in the "Ode to Joy" movement. In Symphony 9, Walter emphasizes humanity and Romantic warmth over excitement. (For excitement, check out George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra, Sony Classical).

I consider Walter's Beethoven to be one of the CLASSIC stereo recordings of Beethoven Symphonies, along with Szell/Cleveland (Symphonies 1, 3, 4 and 9 - Sony); Bernstein/Vienna (DG) and Bohm/Vienna (DG, on 3 individual 2-CD sets). Highly recommended.