The Best Recordings of Beethoven Symphony No. 9

Gil Zilkha, singer/collector/music enthusiast
In this installment of Essential Classical Music, I cover the best recordings of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. This video is taken from my larger video covering the major symphonies and their best recordings. Featured conductors include Karajan, Bernstein, and Furtwängler, among others.

[@shantihealer]

So glad you include Schmidt-Isserstedt. Very solid and very spiritual, yes. And both majestic and delicate, all the tempi just right with sumptuous sometimes miraculous playing. Towards the end of the trio of the scherzo the strings sound as if dancing on a trampoline.

[@bozidarsicel3884]

Wow!? Martti Talvella, lesser known!? Common!!! He was one of the greatest and the most beautiful basses that ever sang. Period.

[@ulfwernernielsen6708]

Thank you so much for this video. I’m glad to hear what you said about the 1942 WF performance. I have heard Dave Hurwitz totally slating this performance. I love this performance as well as the Luzerne performance 1954 with the Philharmonia . I have my reservations about the 1951 Beureut performance. But there is a 1954 WF performance with the Beureut Orchestra, unfortunately in poor sound but it is wonderful, especially the slow movement. It is interesting that LB played the beginning of the slow movement just as slow as WF. But LB made a big difference between Adagio sections and Andate sections. That made a difference of some 4-5 minutes between LB and WF. My absolute favorite recording of the is the LB 1979 . UWN .

[@b1ue_c4t17]

It is worth noting that the EMI transfer of the Furtwangler Bayreuth 1951 was "reconstructed", containing parts that were actually rehearsal footage, while the Orfeo release was entirely from the actual performance.

[@WarinPartita6]

Thanks​ so​ much​ for​ sharing​ your​ insights.​ 🎉❤😂❤❤

[@armandoroa9854]

Excellent your program. I agree with You, Furtwangler 1942 is the best..

[@eduardoalves3123]

great!!

[@paxpaxart4740]

My go to Beethoven 9 was always Schmidt-isserstedt which vocally is on a class by itself. I recently discovered Leinsdorf's 9th with the BSO. Leinsdorf doesn't get the love he deserves these days, but his 9th is a smoker...like Toscanini but with a better orchestra and better sound. It's very pointed, dramatic and rhythmically exciting. It's also got Domingo and Milnes as the male soloists. Great recording. Unfortunately, I'm not much for the historic recordings.

[@djquinn4212]

I finally heard the Schmidt-Isserstedt, they just recently put it on Spotify. The articulation is just totally spot on, especially in the last two movements, James King sings the match in the last movement with a precision and articulation that you don’t hear anywhere else. I really enjoyed hearing it finally, it lived up to the hype.

[@donaldjones5386]

I enjoyed your analyses of the recordings. I think the piece overplayed. Wasn't it a "special occasion" piece? There are so many versions out there that I see no reason to put up with any element you don't like. To me, "weak soloists" or "poor blend of soloists" are reasons to find another version. Sooo glad to see you bring up Schmidt-Isserstedt. Too bad it has been hard-to-find for much of its history. I'll have to try another Furtwangler. I know the Bayreuth one, and I can't stand it.

[@RichardGreen422]

On the chorus in Karajan: I think he always wanted his orchestra to dominate everything else around it. You also hear this in his Ring cycle. As great as he was (and he made a lot of my favorite recordings), he was not good to singers.

[@GilZilkha]

It does come across that way. Could be my imagination but I think the Super Audio version I showed here actually has the Ode to Joy theme slightly boosted in volume compared to the original CD issue.

[@morrigambist]

Is the Solti recording the earlier one (with Pilar Lorengar) or the later one (with Jessye Norman)?

[@GilZilkha]

The earlier one, 1972. I meant to mention that but added the date to the subtitle for clarification.