Beethoven: Symphonien Nos. 5 & 7

Read About This Recording

In June 1975, Deutsche Grammophon released its first symphonic recording with Carlos Kleiber and the Vienna Philharmonic. Reviewer Richard Osborne, defiantly flouting his editor's commissioned wordage, submitted a review three times the length requested. But he'd spotted a winner and within months, this blazing Beethoven's Fifth had become a classic recording. Now, nearly 35 years later, Kleiber's Fifth has become to many the definitive version of this oft-recorded work. Reissued in 1996 with the debut of The Originals series from Deutsche Grammophon, the symphony is perfectly coupled with the Seventh Symphony, also one of the finest on record.

Kleiber, despite his lofty reputation and pedigree as the son of Erich Kleiber, made few recordings, especially compared with his contemporary Herbert von Karajan. But oh, what recordings they are, and the Beethoven Fifth may be his greatest. With its clichéd "fate" opening, Kleiber hits his mark with a combination of tension and elegance. It is visceral and alive to all the shifting moods of the work. It flows along at fast speeds, but never becomes breathless or hard-pressed. In parts, it becomes possessed with unstoppable momentum. Kleiber's touch is all the more assured for being light and inspirational.

Carlos Kleiber was a shy and high-strung maestro who, Herbert von Karajan once commented, "only comes out to conduct when his large freezer runs out of food." He was the son of his famous conducting father and the American Ruth Goodrich. After resigning his post with the Berlin Opera in 1935 as protest over the Nazi policies, Erich Kleiber immigrated to Argentina. His son Karl, who was born in 1930, became Carlos. Though he initially had interests in studying chemistry, Carlos soon followed in his father's footsteps and began his conducting career. He was known not only as an outstanding interpreter but orchestras loved him — they were meticulously rehearsed and his performances felt spontaneous and inspired.

Kleiber never gave an official reason, but his conducting appearances became fewer and fewer, so the legend grew. Was he just an eccentric genius or a pragmatist who knew his limits and the efforts he would need to create performances and recordings to his satisfaction? Here is an opportunity to get one of the most celebrated recordings of all time and one that has become acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Frankly, if you don't have this in your collection, your collection is incomplete. A classic!

—J. Maxwell Fletcher

Quotes

"Kleiber's reading (of the Fifth) has an electricity, a sense of urgency and fresh discovery which puts it in a class of its own." —Gramophone Good CD Guide

"Carlos Kleiber's Fifth stands out among all others." —Penguin Guide

"A great performance (of the Seventh) fully meriting the enormous acclaim it has received. Beethoven comes over with keen ferocity in this sharply-etched reading which, for all its urgency, still retains all the majesty implicit in the music." —International Music Guide

"Thrilling beyond measure (the performance of the Seventh Symphony)." —Records and Recording

"The orchestral playing is rich and glowing, catching in full measure the music's inborn splendour; yet it is a reading which is at all points superbly articulated and dynamically acute." —Gramophone Magazine

Contents

Symphonies: No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67; No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92.

Vienna Philharmonic; Carlos Kleiber, Conductor.