I don’t really have a listening post this evening.
Well, I do. But it’s the same as they have been for awhile.
So why subject anyone else to my rut?
I’m just listening to German conductor Gunter Wand (1912-2002), North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor.
I’ve encountered Maestro Wand eight times previously to this evening, on…
Day 17. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 35. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 53. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 71. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 89. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 107. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 125. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 143. Rating: “Meh!”
That’s four “Meh!” and four “Huzzah!” ratings.
Tonight will decide the fate of this CD box set.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 9 in D minor), from this particular conductor (Wand, at age 74) and this particular orchestra (North German Radio Symphony Orchestra), at this particular time in history (Recorded May 14-16 & June 1-4, 1986) on this particular record label (RCA Victor Red Seal, now owned by Sony) is as follows:
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso………………….15:33
II. Molto vivace………………………………………..11:12
III. Adagio molto e cantabile……………………………..16:00
IV. Finale (A)…………………………………………….5:59
IV. Finale (B)…………………………………………….17:38
Total running time: 65:42
My Rating:
Recording quality: 4 (some top end missing, sounds flat to me, but – on the bright side – hardly any tape hiss or ambient noises)
Overall musicianship: 3 (tempo too quick for my taste)
CD liner notes: 4 (a booklet in each CD jewel case; the bulk of the text is in German, although the essays are also translated into English and French )
How does this make me feel: 4 (“Meh!”)
There are two things I dislike about this recording/performance:
1. The recording quality isn’t as crisp as I like my recordings to be, especially on the high end. There’s nothing wrong with it. Many – perhaps most – will probably love it and consider it top-notch. But to my ears it sounds a little mushy, like all the instruments are compressed together. I can hear the top end – the violins, the brass, etc. – but the overall sound isn’t crisp.
2. The tempo seems just a hair rushed, especially in the first two movements. My beloved Movement II seems to lack the punch it has had in previous performances from other conductors.
That stated, there are good things about this performance – the choral part, for example – which is uncharacteristic of me. I don’t like opera. But Presto Allegro Assai (sort of the Part A of Movement IV) and “O Freunde, Nicht…” (the Part B of Movement IV) are both well done, the former mostly because of the famous melody associated wit “Ode to Joy,” the latter because the operatic part was well recorded and energetic.
I waffled a bit on this rating. I understand why I landed on “Meh!” rather than “Huzzah!” But it wasn’t an easy call. Everything about my project is subjective. Even when I rate Pierre Monteux’s performance with their heavy tape hiss and ambient sounds. Some people might take than in stride and say to themselves, “But it’s an historic recording. I can live with the tape hiss.” But I can’t. It’s part of the overall experience for me.
With regard to this performance by Maestro Wand, I can’t separate my preferences for how I like performances to sound from a really good performance. So although this may be a very fine performance, it doesn’t sound right to my ears.
Your mileage may vary.
But I have to call it as I hear it.
“Meh!”
NOTE: Tomorrow is the very last installment in my 162-day project. It will be a relief to take a break from this daily project. But I’ll miss it.