Today I was listening to Beethoven's 5th Symphony, for about the millionth time in my life. However, the difference today is that I just purchased the 1974 recording done by the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Carlos Kleiber for Deutsche Grammophon. And all I can say is WOW!
I have at at least 3 other recordings of this symphony - one of them even a Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan outing. And I have always believed that von Karajan was 'the man' when it came to Beethoven.
But I gotta say - listening to Klieber's take on this symphony is truly a breathtaking experience. The 4th movement in particular is just...amazing. There are simply no words, really. I'm absolutely stunned. Transported, if you will. Technically flawless, for sure. But more importantly, I think he must have gotten every single ounce of passion out of that orchestra for this recording. My breath catches in my throat during certain parts, even on repeated listenings.
Anyway, this experience got me to thinking - have any of the other classical music fans on this board found a recording like this - one that is just so far above all the rest that it's in a league of it's own?
Tell me about your favorite recordings!
I have at at least 3 other recordings of this symphony - one of them even a Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan outing. And I have always believed that von Karajan was 'the man' when it came to Beethoven.
But I gotta say - listening to Klieber's take on this symphony is truly a breathtaking experience. The 4th movement in particular is just...amazing. There are simply no words, really. I'm absolutely stunned. Transported, if you will. Technically flawless, for sure. But more importantly, I think he must have gotten every single ounce of passion out of that orchestra for this recording. My breath catches in my throat during certain parts, even on repeated listenings.
Anyway, this experience got me to thinking - have any of the other classical music fans on this board found a recording like this - one that is just so far above all the rest that it's in a league of it's own?
Tell me about your favorite recordings!
