Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7

2010

“The recording of the Fifth, always very fine, comes up superbly in this transfer.
What, though, of the Seventh, an equally distinguished performance though always perceptibly greyer-sounding on LP, and on CD? The result is a performance of genius that now speaks to us freely and openly for the first time. In some ways this is a more important document than the famous Fifth.
Great recordings of the Seventh, greatly played and conducted, but with first and second violins divided left and right, are as rare as gold dust. Freshly refurbished, this Kleiber Seventh would go right to the top of any short list of recommendable Sevenths. It's wonderful to have these two legendary performances so expertly restored.”

1000th issue

(James Jolly)

“Mercurial, thrilling accounts of two warhorses from the unique Carlos Kleiber”

January 2012

“an essential recommendation for any collection. These are performances which seem to present a Beethoven 'for the ages', a distillation of a long interpretative tradition, without concern for historical accuracy in text or performance practice. The sense of something monumental is enhanced by the imposing Vienna Musikverein acoustic.”

2011 edition

“In Carlos Kleiber's hands the first movement of the Fifth is electrifying, yet still has an underlying hushed intensity...In the Seventh the symphonic argument never yields to the charm of the dance. Incisively dramatic, his approach relies on sharp rhythmic contrasts and thrustful rhythms.”