Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 in A major: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace (Part 2)

I apologize for having to split this movement beetween the Poco sostenuto and the Vivace, I realize some of the buildup's tension is lost that way - but this is sadly the only place where I could cut without ruining the music further.

René Leibowitz / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Recorded in 1961 at the Walthamstow Town Hall, London

Pictured is René Leibowitz conducting the piece during the recording sessions. I've heard dozens of famous 7ths, none has stuck with me like this one - I have some other favorites for the second and fourth movements that I like just as much as Leibowitz', but I've never heard a better performance of the first movement. The dancing, singing woodwinds (then easily the strongest section of the RPO) and then that almost obscene brass outburst. Stunning, especially since despite extreme volume of the horns you can still hear the strings and the trumpets (who play along with the timpani) - which you can't even hear in most other recordings. Wilkinson did a great, great job here. I also like how stubborn and stomping Leibowitz performs the final movement, without any accerlando at all - which I think that makes the finale sound way too light most of the time. Leibowitz' control of the dynamics is amazing yet again in the coda, not just the buildup before the trumpet enters with a crescendo so tense, you feel as though the note would tear itself apart every second now - when it finally does and Leibowitz and Beethoven hammer the main theme into your ears with a relentlessness and bullishness that all to often absent from this cathartic piece of music.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• beethoven
• classical
• rene
• leibowitz
• symphony
• major
• vivace
• dance
• fire
• romantic
• royal
• philharmonic
• orchestra
• better
• than
• karajan
• bernstein

[RabidCh]

"better" "than" "karajan"

haha i loved that :D

excellent first movement, although I prefer a slower tempo ie furtwangler (postwar!) or c.kleiber the energy is like no other especially after the first build up

[Nachtmarchen]

Do you mean Furtie's Vienna Studio recording? Of the Carlos Kleiber 7ths, my favorite is the Bavarian SO one, despite some over-the-top vibrato in the woodwinds and the finale movement being just a tad too light during the finale (but that comes with juxtaposing the quieter, modern trumpets with a conventional string section). Do you know Erich Kleiber's Concertgebouw 7th? That one's a real gem as well, punchy and fiery in the first movement, incredibly determined in the last one.

[6Stefff]

Wonderful Beethoven! Loved it! Great Leibowitz

[6Stefff]

Wonderful Beethoven! Loved it! Great Leibowitz

[Dogaradodia]

Certified Intergalactic! Great Leibowitz!

[oropesinoa]

!!!EXELENTE....!!!! Que mas puedo decir del GENIAL Beethoven...

[billyguns2]

This is one of the best Sevenths I've heard; VIVACE, as Beethoven marked, not some imposed "nobility" or epic grandeur! The orchestra and recorded sound are superb!

[RabidCh]

Yes, I Furtwangler's wartime tympani, although very tense, is too offputting for me so I prefer his postwar Vienna. But I have not heard of all of Furtwangler's recordings particuarly the 1953. I don't have that many recordings as most of my classical music collection is piano-related repertoire.

I prefer any of Carlos Kleiber's live recordings over his DG studio, although that one is still better than most 7ths. I have heard his father's recording once but it didn't stay in my memory.

[RabidCh]

leibowitz/RPO's energy*