Cheers
EJ
I don’t often buy records second hand, but I saw an LP of Karl Böhm conducting ‘his’ Vienna PO in Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the Eroica, and took a chance. What an utterly brilliant performance, up there with Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer and Furtwængler’s famous accounts! There are a few ‘Rice Krispy’ moments on the record, but overall it’s in pretty good nick.
Böhm’s recording was part of a complete Beethoven symphony cycle, which he recorded in Vienna in the early 1970s. DG have recently re-released his seraphic account of the Pastoral Symphony in their superb ‘The Original Source’ vinyl series. I wish that they would consider this record, and indeed the entire Böhm cycle, for future release.
I would like a Böhm Eroica. I am very fond of that symphony.
I think that you have to do as I did, look for something second hand, as there is no current Böhm Eroica recording listed.
Although I would like a Böhm “Eroica” I do not feel a need to find an OG. Was it recorded in the 70s? If TOS does it then great. If not, that’s OK too.
All that I can tell you is that the record was issued in 1972, no recording dates are shown.
Discogs should show a few Near Mint box sets of this cycle Graham. I bought this one from Oxfam recently for £5.99! In very good nick too.
I forgot, I do have this one also. Mine is a club reissue, and the pressings aren’t great though.
Agreed JDP, sometimes the box sets aren’t to the same standards as the original issues.
Prompted by your comment I compared the Eroica in the box set I mentioned previously to my DG, made in England single LP:
The latter is definitely fuller, brighter and overall noticeably better.
Bohm’s is a lovely version, but I’ve a big soft spot for Konwitschny/Leipzig on Fontana. A wonderful performance and a fantastic recording and pressing. This is my go to Eroica.
In my case it’s not so much that I have a box set, as much as that I have a record club box set. In a lot of cases those are remasters from copy tapes licensed to the club. So the remasters and pressings can be rather inferior.
I have some DG and Philips box sets that are identical to the originals. They are just represses of the same masters as the OG, which can be confirmed looking at the runouts. I believe my Haitink/Concertgebouw Philips boxes of Bruckner and Mahler symphonies are examples of that.
A spectacular (studio) recording of Bruckner 5, by the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Lahav Shani. The performance is lyrical and rhythmic, quite fast but well shaped. Recorded on my home turf in De Doelen concert hall, a problematic recording location but on this occasion expertly managed.
Cheers
EJ
Why do you think De Doelen is problematic venue?
I find it’s a wonderful venue sounding great.
Does the recording give balance engineering credit?
P.S. I just found out that my fave Stones album ‘Black & Blue’ was also recorded at De Doelen!
Hi Kuma - it’s a personal view of course, but I feel that since they installed the elevated floor on the podium in the '90s, essentially a sound box, the orchestral balance is heavily biased to the lower strings and wind sections, and the violins in particular have to work hard. The overall sound is somewhat dense. For those wanting to check: the hall characteristics are perfectly captured on a recording of Ravel works under Nézet-Séguin, on EMI/Warner.
Cheers
EJ
Thanks EJ.
Out of curiosity where do you sit in the hall usually?
I try to go for Parterre 2nd or 1st rank, close to the podium. But usuallly order late!
Me too! So far I’ve been lucky! 
More Charity Shop treasures unearthed! I paid £25 for 4 spotless gems. These are all perfect examples of what made Decca so well regarded in the 60’s and 70’s. the famed ‘Decca Boys’ at the controls in the Sofiensaal and the authoratitive VPO in performance, both the performances and recordings are exemplary.
I’m listening to the new DG Classics release of Giulini/VPO Bruckner Symphonies Nos. 7-9, first time release on vinyl in three 2-LP gatefolds packaged in a box.
I listened to the 7th one time through so far. I mostly agree with Mark Ward’s review on Tracking Angle. This is a great release from DG Classics. The records are nicely pressed and I didn’t hear a single defect on #7. Not even a tiny nit. The sound quality for an early digital era recording is really impressive, and the performance is great. I have to digest it some more. I can’t say it’s my favorite, but I can say it’s one that will bear repeated listening in any case.
What it’s not is the TOS AAA quality we get with releases in that series. If you are looking for the Barenboim/CSO brass choir that smacks you in the head and tosses you into a wall to wake you from your coma, you won’t get that. The sound quality and dynamics are bit softer and subdued than that. The performance is there, but I’m not getting that fantastic open, multidimensional soundstage and dynamics with inner details I hear with the Barenboim 4th, or the Kubelik Smetana, or the Steinberg Hindemith, or the Ozawa Berlioz. I also bet the Karajan Bruckner sound quality will smoke it, and we know how great his performances are.
Nevertheless, for $150 for a 6-LP set of the last three Bruckner symphonies I think this is really well worth it, and then some, at least so far. I’m glad I bought it.
I’m currently working my way through my latest delivery of Original Source issues (I bought them all except the Bartok).
The Beethoven is a real wow. I have 2 versions of this same Bohm performance on DG which are fine, but what the OS process has brought out in the recording is completely transformative.
The Bruckner, as you say, is a sonic blast and the performance a very pleasant surprise to me as I’ve not been a big fan of Barenboims work to date. The bad news is that there’s a nasty scratch at the end of the Scherzo, so that disc will need replacing.
The Brahms has a spindle hole that’s so off-centre that it will also need to be replaced.
Fingers crossed that my ‘claim’ is well received by Presto Music!
That Kubelik/BSO Bartok is really very good. My second favorite version after Reiner/CSO on RCA Living Stereo.
