Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 1-5 (Jordi Savall)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

CD1:

• Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
• Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

CD2:

• Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 "Eroica"

CD3:

• Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
• Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Le Concert des Nations

Jordi Savall, conductor

Date: 2020

Label: Alia Vox

https://www.alia-vox.com/catalogue/beethoven-revolution-symphonies-1-a-5/

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Review

Given that Renaissance and Baroque specialist Jordi Savall is not necessarily the conductor to whom one would first turn for Beethoven, he is nevertheless a great musician whose opinion is worth listening to in any repertory. As one might expect, he has some unorthodox opinions in this survey of Beethoven's first five symphonies (a complete set was planned but was at least temporarily cut short by the 2020 pandemic). Savall augments the 35 players of his Le Concert des Nations orchestra with 25 other young players for a total of 60, historically in line with what Beethoven would have expected. His tempos are blistering, based on the metronome markings from later in Beethoven's career. Beethoven, however, did not own a metronome when he wrote most of these works; Savall is extrapolating from the later ones. Also, Beethoven's metronome was a first-generation machine, and if one is to cite scholarly studies, as Savall does in his notes here, it is also necessary to cite the ones that have concluded that Beethoven's machine was defective. The problem with taking the first movement of the Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica") a good four minutes quicker than most other recordings on the market is, as conductors before Savall have found, that it leaves nowhere to go in the Presto-marked finale. This said, Savall has drilled his players very well, and the clarity achieved at these speeds in the outer movements is both remarkable and exciting. The speed combines nicely with the textures Savall generates. Like other historical-performance specialists, he is at pains to avoid what he called the "hypertrophy" of the strings, revealing many inner lines, but instead of blasting period brass (he actually tamps these down), his emphasis is on the percussion, which indeed supplies the Revolution element that Savall uses for his overall title. The finale of the Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21, generates a good deal of exciting momentum in Savall's hands, and every time the Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, seems ready to slacken even slightly, he drives the players forward with impressive results. The outer movements of the Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36, and Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60, have satisfying intensity, even if the "Funeral March" of the Symphony No. 3 is a rather aerobic funeral march. For those who buy the idea that Beethoven's symphonies should be taken at these tempos, this will be a fresh and stimulating set. One awaits the final four symphonies as soon as they can be put on disc or hard drive.

-- James Manheim, AllMusic

More reviews:
https://theclassicreview.com/album-reviews/review-beethoven-symphonies-no-1-5-le-concert-des-nations-savall/

https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Beethoven-Symphonies-Nos-1-5/dp/B08928JR2B

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

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Jordi Savall (born August 1, 1941) is a Catalan conductor, viol player, and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for reviving the use of viol family instruments (notably the viola da gamba) in contemporary performance and recording. His characteristic repertoire features Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music, although he has occasionally ventured into the Classical and even the Romantic periods. Savall's discography includes more than 100 recordings on EMI Classics, Astrée, and his own label, Alia Vox.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordi_Savall

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