Best 9th symphony record

[SirCorto]

Hi;

I'm new here and I'm sorry if this subject was already discussed.
Some time ago I heard on the radio a version of the 9th symphony directed by Daniel Barenboim. This version was great, and would want to know your opinion about the best 9th symphony that was ever recorded.

Thanks

[Peter]

Very difficult question to answer as each person has their own favourites. My all time favourite is Ferenc Fricsay / Berlin Philharmonic - Irmgard Seefried, Maureen Forrester, Ernst Haefliger, and Dietrich Fischer-dieskau (1958) - I believe this was DG's first stereo recording.

[JA Gardiner]

Hi;

I'm new here and I'm sorry if this subject was already discussed.
Some time ago I heard on the radio a version of the 9th symphony directed by Daniel Barenboim. This version was great, and would want to know your opinion about the best 9th symphony that was ever recorded.

Thanks

Well our much-esteemed member Gurn Blanston, who has a tradition of playing the 9th on Sundays and has an impressive collection of versions would give you a more educated opinion than I

But the most thrilling version I've heard is in the set by David Zinman and the Tonhalle, the most interesting and coherent as an entire piece is an historical recording by Erich Kleiber and the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Wien (though it does have a somewhat gargly and mannered tenor for my taste) and the most meaningful is the performance by Bernstein celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall which substitutes Freiheit ( freedom) for Freude in the Ode to Joy ( I think the Boss would have approved in the circumstances!). All IMHO of course!

The last version by Karajan from 1976 with Tomowa-Sintow, Baltsa, Schreier and Van Dam is also pretty special in a magisterial sort of way as is the recent performance by Haitink and the LSO. In the end its down to taste and the piece is so extraordinary and wonderful it takes a lot of spoiling.

[Gurn Blanston]

Why, thank you, Ms. Gardiner

I have eschewed most of the "historical" recordings of the wonderful 9th, in favor of more modern interpretations, since I was infected with the authenticity bug by our erstwhile companion Rodney. So I can't really comment on many of those, with the exception of Peter's Fricsay version which is quite lovely. My oldest is Berlin PO / Karajan 1963, which I think is the cream of the crop from that era anyway. Janowitz, Majdan, Kmentt and especially Berry do an outstanding job, and Karajan hadn't gone all techno at that point, so what you hear is what was played, which is excellent.

Of the modern versions, I can't fault your choice of Zurich Tonhalle Orchestre / Zinman. It is among my favorites on mostly modern instruments (except the brass and timpani which are period). I particularly like the tempi employed. But my especial favorite is the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique / Gardiner. Period instruments, great sound, very nice singing, and above all, tempi that fit MY expectations. The other period versions that I have, Norrington, Hogwood and Goodman all suffer from the one fatal flaw which kills an otherwise nice performance for me: they all play the Turkish March section of the Ode to Joy as though it was a Marche Funebre! I have read Norrington's justification for this, and I simply don't buy it. It is wrong, wrong wrong.

Three other versions that I really like enough to recommend are Royal Concertgebouw / Haitink, London SO / Jochum (same vintage as the Karajan), and the much newer Royal Liverpool / MacKerras. You wouldn't be going far wrong with any of these, particularly the MacKerras.

There, got that out of my system...

[HaydnFan]

I wouldn't be able to tell you since I have only intimately heard the one version but I also own the 1976 Karajan and it is fantastic!

[ruudp]

a lil video I found...von karajan...conducting the ninth...parts 1,2 and 3...enjoy:-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2AEaQJuKDY