Breaking Down Beethoven

Beethoven gets busted. Photo by the author with his iPhone.

A quick guide to the Nine Symphonies.

Today is Ludwig van Beethoven's 241st birthday: the perfect excuse to editorialize about the composer from Bonn.

For those just getting into classical music, Beethoven is often the starting point. A movie or commercial features one of his symphonies. Maybe Immortal Beloved was on cable the other night. Or your parents had a little bust in their house--usually of his scowling face. (See photo for mine.)

But buying (or downloading) your first Beethoven symphonies can be a bewildering experience. There are a lot of recordings available. Almost every conductor with a recording contract in the last 50 years recorded at least one of the symphonies--and most laid down all nine. Herbert von Karajan alone made four complete recordings of the symphonies. Other conductors (Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis) also issued multiple interpretations in the course of long podium careers.

So where to begin? Let's start with a quick summary of each of the nine symphonies. 

No. 1 in C: Beethoven started on a smaller scale. The First has charm and humor with a hint of the celebrations of life to come in the later works.

No. 2 in D: Often ignored or programmed out of necessity, the Second is an engaging example of Beethoven's early style.

No. 3 ("Eroica") in E Flat: What Wagner would have called a "revolution in art." A huge expansion of the symphony in scale and power, with a funeral march that inspired generations of heavy metal fans (who also like Beethoven.)

No. 4 in B Flat: The least played and among the most rewarding symphonies: a deceptive, moody introduction leads to a bucolic close.

No. 5 in C minor: Da-da-da-DUM. The "fate" motif dominates all four movements of this famous symphony.

No. 6 ("Pastoral") in F: Beethoven goes on vacation and takes the listener to the Austrian countryside. The first popular five-movement symphony and an early example of "program music."

No. 7 in A. Still on vacation. A dramatic symphony with the second movement that was in last year's The King's Speech.

No. 8 in F.  A bustling work that still confounds listeners. Beethoven had a sense of humor. Massively underrated.

No. 9 ("Chorale") in D minor: The cycle ends with the 'Ode to Joy,' the first time voice was added to a symphony. This famous theme ends what was at the time the longest symphony ever written.

So where to begin? I always recommend that new listeners should start with the Eroica, which pretty much defines Beethoven's style and gives you a sense of what you're getting into. The Seventh and the Fifth are also good starting-points, as is the ever-popular "Pastoral." 

As for which conductor and orchestra to go with here are some guidelines:

• Karajan's earlier recordings on DG are better, (esp. the famous cycle made in 1963) with the Berlin Philharmonic.
• Modern live recordings are sometimes better than in the studio. So what if you hear someone cough--the excitement of live music-making is vital to Beethoven performances. The new Riccardo Chailly cycle and the LSO Live set with Bernard Haitink are examples of this.
• Period performances (using original instruments from the 1800s) are fine, but they may sound a little different than what you're used to. (Example: anything conducted by John Eliot Gardiner).
• "Remastered" is often a fancy record company word for "repackaged recordings."
• Analog recordings (made before 1980) may have small degrees of tape hiss, but often have more warmth and charm than chilly early digital sets. 
• Recordings made after 1995 have better sound too, because the bit-capturing process for digital recordings and the advance of DAT led to better quality in the studio.
• The best Beethoven cycles available may be cheap just because they're, y'know--OLD. There's nothing "wrong" with them--in fact some (The London cycle with Josef Krips, Otto Klemperer's set on EMI) are essential listening, and the Krips set (made at the dawn of the stereo era) is a bargain that has only recently been rediscovered.
• The Vienna Philharmonic or Berlin Philharmonic will probably be the "sound you're looking for." But there are great recordings made in the UK and North America too. 
• Anything recorded before 1955 is going to be in mono sound, not stereo. 
• You owe it to yourself eventually to hear Furtwängler, Mengelberg and Knappertsbusch conduct this music but these are older recordings that sound better to the somewhat trained ear. 
• That said, the 1951 Bayreuth recording of the Ninth (made to celebrate the re-opening of Wagner's opera festival) with Furtwängler is amazing.

Classical Music 101: Building a Music Collection

Five Tips For Getting Your Hands on the Best Recordings




Price: How Much Should You Pay?
Classical music CDs have traditionally been divided into three price levels: "Full" price ($15-$18/disc), "Mid-price" ($10-$12/disc) and "Budget Price" ($8 and below.) Some stores can charge lower prices because they don't have to pay rent, or they are selling promotional items or other gently-used products. Used CD stores (not many of these left) will sometimes allow shoppers to bring a portable CD player to check the discs before buying, but this is rare. More recently, super-budget labels (like Brilliant Classics and Gala Records) have been releasing venerable performances at super-budget prices.


Format: Vinyl, CDs, or MP3s?
Most collectors swear by the original vinyl for the sheer quality of sound. However, vinyl records are bulky, hard to maintain, and require a good system with a turntable. They're also hard to find, as many vinyl recordings were deleted from shops as the industry switched over to cheaper, easier to manufacture CDs. Most classical music is available on CD, from Bach's solo violin pieces to the Wagner's grandiose Ring Cycle. CDs are a good place to start. Unfortunately the CD Database (CDDB) is notably inconsistent when it comes to generating names and track titles of classical and opera MP3s, making music in this format hard to find.

Performance: Choosing the Artist
There is a bewildering array of performances and repertory available. Start with the basics--the 1962 Beethoven symphonies conducted by Herbert von Karajan, or the works of Debussy or Stravinsky led by Ernst Ansermet. Sometimes older is better--most recordings made before the CD boom are of very high quality, and you can save some money, get better recordings, and develop a really fine collection. Research is recommended: the Penguin Guide, the Rough Guide to Classical Music or the Gramophone Good CD Guide are all good places to start. Read the internet, the classical music blogs, or best of all, talk to the senior clerk in a large record store.

Analog vs. Digital vs. Remastered
When an older, analog recording (that is one made with ordinary tape and originally issued on vinyl) is burned onto a CD, there is always some decay of the signal as it is re-written ("remastered") for the digital format. Some decay also happens when a recording is issued as an MP3. Ironically, some of the recent "budget" series released by the major labels (DG Originals, Decca Original Masters, EMI Great Recordings of the 20th Century, etc.) combine a classic recording with a low price and scintillating digital sound. Seek these recordings and performances out.



"Period Performance" vs. Modern Instruments
In the 1970s and '80s, the trend emerged where conductors and performers would play works on authentic or replica instruments from the 18th century. Wooden flutes, finger-hole clarinets, and "natural" horns all have very different sounds from their modern orchestral equivalents, and this is something to take into account when shoping for a recording. Also, some conductors like to use "metronome markings" found in the score, which often results in Mozart that you can pace off with an egg-timer. Many of these so-called "period" performances have great artistic value, but they may not be what you are listening for if you are just starting out.