Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 in A major: II. Allegretto

[Sletup4ko]

I listen to the Beatles/RHCP/Eddie Vedder/Radiohead and such most of the time, though i might just adore this the most.

[marian444]

Wonderful!!!

[mushroomgorge1]

I played this in 5th grade with the orchestra and band combined. It turned out really nice but not as good as this.

[DanielDaniel1]

Excellent recording quality. Job well done

[pandolfitow]

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO FRICKIN' GOOOOOOD

BEETHOVEN, I LOVE YOU...

[ytscks]

Apparently 2 people were in a such a rush to Like this song they accidently pressed Dislike ;)

[MrsPopcorn9119]

my favorite version

[MrRancidrob]

Refined. Restrained. Classic.

[icedchaiteeeee]

this was the soundtrack to a movie called The Fall and its SO beautiful in the movie.

[UKpatriot90]

too slow

[MsTheconductor]

Damn it I LOVED IT.....great control over the orchestra. just superb. musicians played with passion

[BeethovenKicks]

My favorite part is the "fall from the cliff" at 4:45 to 4:55.

[KaylinJH]

its a travesty... rebecca black has over 100 million views and this this at a humble 37 thousand...

[ruthzitron]

Von Karajan was a member of the Nazi Party at its inception. War criminal

[netfilm]

great

[MrKylecopp]

i just recently composed a piece that somewhat resembles this sound and feel. :) cool

[mikatagahara1212]

@MrKylecopp lol

[5SUSANA]

Una maravilla, un placer cósmico

[oboistru]

Wow. Am I the only one who think Karajan is just way better? This seems to me slow and somewhat uninspired.

[tetrisclock]

After hearing this and Toscanini's take on it, it's hard to listen to it any faster.

[AaronBalzerMusic]

I would love to find this and listen on vinyl!

[Peedmypantaloons]

@AaronBalzerMusic Yes, everything sounds better with scratch sounds all over it!

[Cloudlesssoul]

The world of the internet is so beautiful, and this is so beautiful. Thank you so much for uploading this. I am overjoyed.

[jls081188]

i prefer leibowitz to both karajan and kleiber, which i both find much too fast, though i appreciate a lot the lightness kleiber can bring into this movement.

anyway, my favourite is barenboim.

[chocoholicchic92]

Just wrote about this piece for a music scholarship for school. Was quite hard to write about

[Dogaradodia]

Certified Intergalactic!

[capncoolio]

The Bass drum is way too pronounced for my taste.

[paolorinarelli]

@capncoolio ...and unpredictable. sure the way Ludwig intended that!

[faradyeva]

2:29 gives me the chills.........

[godlordy]

They really used this amazingly in the film "Knowing"

[Chopp3dOuT]

dam i love this

[agbadu]

It starts out grave, solemn, and stately then transitions to a longing and dignified nostalgic tone, then onto an opulent and preening aire conjured by the high violins. Next comes exquisite grandeur; lofty and lavish. The mid-section is composed of serene joy occasioned by reminiscings and swells of mystery and solemnity harkening back to the onset of the piece. It finishes in a quiet, fulfilled, and satiate resignation. The closing of greatness...this is a true masterpiece of the ages...

[josgvis]

@agbadu Couldn't find any better words than what you've expressed about this indeed true masterpiece......

In Dutch I would add "hardverscheurend......"

[agbadu]

@josgvis Thank you my friend...hardverscheurend :)

[ijrupahsinosub]

would it be too prosaic to say there's something too prosaic, that is to say too direct, about this... i think in this movement there is particularly conspicuously so an undercurrent being implied that perhaps HvK's (i liked the decca wpo) legato is consistent with... contrast this allegretto w/ the eroica march, which is a more direct statement...

[AntonVonShrodinger]

I have a very good version of the 7th, by Otto Klemperer, and his tempo is slower than all the others I have heard, and I prefer it his way. Nevertheless, Leibowitz does a very good job with the dynamics of this stunningly beautiful work.

[babadope]

anyone know where I can download this particular version of Beethoven's 7th Mvt 2?

[22reepicheep]

no but check

[Serenelune]

Oh wow. I really love this version so much more than Karajan's. I heard from a commenter on Karajan's version that this was better, and, so he was correct.

[LinetteandRavenshow]

i love this song

[billyguns2]

I just did an A-B comparison of this with Karajan and the Berliners; Leibowitz wins hands down. Everything about this~ tempo, articulation, phrasing, dynamics, and feeling is sheer perfection. This is a hard movement to successfully bring off, and many greats fail. The tempo must be rock solid throughout, inexorable, grand, monumental; Leibowitz succeeds.

[Nachtmarchen]

The problem I have with Karajan's take on this movement is that he applies too much undue legato to a movement that is no less rhythm-driven than the rest of the symphony, beginning with his Berlin tenure Karajan revised his take on this movement completely, the restlessness of his earlier Philharmonia recording was gone. While that one is not as good and tragic as as Leibowitz' it's also very much worth hearing.

[billyguns2]

Well said; Karajan smoothes everything out and also doesn't manage the overwhelming crescendo very well. I have the first Philharmonia effort; I'll listen to it. For me, Karajan's greatest years in the recording studio were from 1952 to 1964; his Vienna Phil. recordings are sensational. Do you know the ancient Weingartner 7th? Also very impressive.

[gruad999]

@billyguns2 Its funny you say that because I remember my Dad replaced his Beethoven records with a boxed Karajan set of tapes and he found he hated them He had to go and seek out the old versions again. He liked the Chicago symphony orchestra.

Its surprising the input of the conductor and musicians on the same piece of music. This is one of the best versions I have heard.

[capncoolio]

@billyguns2 Depends on when you hear it from. I've heard MANY different versions of this, and Karajan's version with the Berlin Philharmonic remains the top of them all...

Of course this is subjective and I accept that views will differ. But I thought I'd have my two cents heard :P

[paolorinarelli]

@billyguns2 I agree: Karajan was nazi and it shows...

[mfhightower]

@billyguns2

Amen!

[JohnDXCenaHas2Words]

used in nodame cantabile

[billyguns2]

This performnace sounds so spontaneous and powerful, as if the music is being created on thge spot; thank you so much forbringing this great conductor's marvelous recordings to YouTube.

[DeyaGrey]

this is my favorite version and also my favorite classical song. words can't describe my feelings when i listen to it... it moves me more than anything.

[deadlynightstar]

Love this version!

[pistero545]

even better than karajan, great performance

[All4Hymns]

Love it! The older orchestra's sound so much better most of the time.

[Nachtmarchen]

Well, part of the reason is that this performance was recorded by one of the greatest sound engineers ever, Kenneth Wilkinson of Decca fame, most modern recordings dont come close to the ambience and natural blending of his recordings. And of course Leibowitz draws great playing from the RPO, his control over the dynamics is awesome.

[blavatsky2009]

Light comes from within! Streams of music climaxing in a lavish musical vision of the human spirit, at first mournful but then increasingly noble, glorious, joyful and finally eternal!....Excuse me but I really had to say this!

[jennybean12000]

@blavatsky2009 ...Beautifully said! So much passion, no words to really describe; this piece cuts to the soul, gentle, flowing, passionate, carried allowed on a river of melody... you really expressed it beautifully! :)

[haruwan21]

glorious. thank you!