Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
In 2006, the 25-year-old Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel's star on the international scene is rising fast, with prestigious conducting assignments and this CD of two of Beethoven's most-popular and often-recorded symphonies. It's a bold calling card for a label that has outstanding versions of these symphonies by the likes of von Karajan, Abbado, and Carlos Kleiber, among others. If Dudamel doesn't eclipse those or others atop the mountain of Beethoven symphony recordings, he gives fine performances brimming with vitality and excitement. His youth orchestra sounds as good as many better known ensembles, playing with spontaneity and technical expertise. Dudamel excels in painting vivid orchestral colors and lending rhythmic impetus to the fast movements of both symphonies, surely a prerequisite for conveying the power of the Fifth and the dancing rhythms of the Seventh. But he does tend to exaggerate dynamics, following powerful orchestral outbursts with barely audible solo or section passages. And his slow movements, while decently done, tend to lack flow and energy. Still, an impressive debut, heralding a welcome new face on the international conducting scene. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, GUSTAVO DUDAMEL! January 5, 2007
34 out of 39 found this review helpful

Subtlety, nuance, and elegance may not be the strong points of this recording of Beethoven's tried and true symphonies 5 and 7, but DGG has jumped the gun for capturing and signing one of the more exciting young conductors on the scene today by introducing him with known works played by his own youth ensemble, the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. What this recording lacks in the line of the grand old men of the podium it makes up for in the spirit and obvious musicality that makes Dudamel infectious. For the recording of these symphonies it is a highly respectable rendering: as an introduction to the conductor Gustavo Dudamel it does not even begin to suggest the prodigious gifts of this young dynamo!

This listener had the extreme fortune to be present when Dudamel recently mounted the podium before the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Disney Hall to lavish his rapt audience with his charismatic persona, his complete commitment to the music, his oneness with the orchestra (not an easy assignment for a novice in front of one of the world's finest orchestras), and the thrill of hearing difficult works as though they had just been written. Opening with Kodaly's 'Dances of Galanta', Dudamel found every detail of this richly orchestrated score a reason for discovery. It is the first time this listener has every appreciated the piece as a completely original work. He then collaborated with guest soloist Yefim Bronfman in the quintessential Rachmaninov 3rd, revealing orchestral facets too often hidden in routine performances. He then turned to Bartok's challenging 'Concerto for Orchestra' to prove his mettle. The orchestra fully embraced his precise conducting technique, his penchant for passionate music making, and his attention to metric details that can throw even the most seasoned of conductors. It was an astonishing experience and one that captured not only the minds and hearts of the orchestra but those of the audience as well.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the innately musical, powerful presence and career opening of the humble but brilliant Gustavo Dudamel! Grady Harp, January 07

2 out of 5 stars

Gimme a Break! Now Conductors Are Hyped Like Over-Priced Start-Up Wines October 10, 2007
26 out of 46 found this review helpful

I have four friends who, like most of you, loved this CD and thought my criticism was off base. My friends had all heard Dudamel in concert and raved. So, out of both fairness and idle curiousity we all agreed to a blind comparison against the same symphonies recorded by a couple other conductors (another friend acting as impartial referee chose two other conductors unbeknownst to us - Pierre Monteux and Carlos Keliber.) As a wine person I tend to enjoy seeing how blind tastings turn out - though I make my fair share of mistakes and sometimes wince when the bags are uncovered.

The result? Three of us preferred the Keliber recording of the 5th, two the Monteux. All had the Dudamel dead last. Before the names were uncovered one lady was absolutely sure the Kleiber 5th was the Dudamel performance. The two biggest Dudamel fans unknowingly dished the Dudamel 7th, one going so far as to call its slow movement "completely impossible." When the actual CDs were exposed to the light of day two listeners had chosen the Monteux, two the Kleiber, and one, who obviously spends too much time at the fights, had it even. Once again Dudamel was DEAD LAST on all five scorecards. That's a clean ten out of ten.

I thought the sound of the Dudamel CD and some of his tempos would give him away, but it didn't turn out that way - a credit perhaps to my friends' efforts at impartiality. Now such a small sampling doesn't prove much, but it does raise a few doubts, as it certainly did with the local Dudamel fan club. Dudamel is quite good, and will soon be a household name, if his publicity machine has any say. And I grant my review my score is harsh; but sometimes when we listen WITHOUT PRECONCEIVED OPINIONS we make a more informed judgement. The best part of all this was I gained an added appreciation for Monteux's skills as a Beethoven conductor; I knew he was very good, but I didn't realize just how good. You might give him a listen. Here I found my own Germanic prejudices showing! We all gain when we listen before we make up our minds.

Referring sarcastically to the marketing schemes of new wineries who, without any track record, set stratospheric prices for their brand new wines, one of my closest and wisest friends points out that wine is the only product you can fool all the people about all the time. His point being not that the newest wines are not very good, but rather maybe they should wait awhile before they begin comparing themselves to the likes of Cheval Blanc and La Tache. This comparison crossed my mind as I was reading all these ecstatic reviews of this CD. I was stunned - had any of these reviewers ever heard Kleiber or Furtwangler - or any number of other great Beethoven conductors? If so wise readers will do well to discount any future comments by these Dudamel bandwagoners. Perhaps it's time to add the classical music world to this P.T. Barnum update. Certainly young stars of the musical firmament generate buzz, it's only human, and has been going on for centuries. Yet things seem even more accelerated these days than ever: in the Age of the Internet popularity can be manufactured in a heck of a hurry. And such sudden idolatry is never a good thing when it comes to critical balance.

Listening to these two performances showcases a contagious enthusiasm, but also some less attractive tendencies. Without going on at length there seems to be one fundamental difficulty - For Gustavo Beethoven's myriad tacit architectural elements are an undiscovered country. (An unkinder friend snidely derided the last movement of the Seventh as a musical beached jellyfish; not really fair criticism of an overmatched youth orchestra and not the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, but it really is musical mush.) Of course nobody cares anymore, it's all hype, hype, hype, with reviewers from LA who apparently now believe their last wunderkind wasn't young enough. Excuse me, but is anyone actually listening? Just as one doesn't plant a Sequoia for a little shade, so too one doesn't tackle one of the most challenging works in all the creative arts to showcase a youth orchestra. The tempo for the last movement of the A major was more Looney Tunes than Beethoven. And that's not a knock on the Warner's musicians - I like the Looney Tunes music; more than this rushed out musical schizogenesis. Why record major Beethoven symphonies with musical youngsters? Couldn't DG instead have used them to record one of their native composers, who could use the money and exposure far more than Beethoven? That would have been far more appropriate, but apparently not nearly as commerically splashy, especially if you as a record company have your sights set on the main chance - redoing the entire major symphonic repetorie with a new and hopefully crossover conductor.

Although the best musicians are inevitably precocious enough, and Gustavo - I just can't call him by his last name, sorry - has plenty of bold 'Gusto' to go along with his indisputable talents, the truth is that there are a dozen young conductors - even some Americans! - who may be as good, and might even turn out better in the long run. But we'll never know. Gustavo shines at the Mahler competition and the die is cast. He's the one! He's instantly tapped as the musical savior, and the publicity machine launches into full court press. You might as well try to hold back the tides as speak out against the hagiography once a person is transformed into a vested commercial interest.

As I don't like to criticize without offering an alternative you might go back in time and listen instead to the young Guido Cantelli; he displayed a fine command of the intellectual issues required in leading a major Beethoven symphony. (And having steered you to Cantelli as an alternative I find that the bean counters at EMI have now seen fit to delete the outsanding 2CD Cantelli set with his sensational readings of the Beethoven 7th symphony, the Franck symphony, and Mozart's symphony 29. Keep an eye out for used copies.)

4 out of 5 stars

A good first effort for the young Venezuelan(s) August 15, 2006
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Highly touted young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel makes his recording debut on this DG disc in the Beethoven 5th and 7th. There are a good many things to recommend this disc, not the least of which is that the orchestra is excellent for anywhere- when one considers that they are a youth orchestra, well, that's even better. They follow Dudamel's sense of shape and line very well, and I had no complaints about intonation.

The real star of the show, of course, is Dudamel- having conducted ensembles since the tender age of 12, the recording shows every bit of his experienced manner. He has the practiced ear of one who not only has been conducting for years, but moreover has specific ideas about the external and internal movement and form of the symphonic sound. His aforementioned sense of shape and line are well developed: listen to his opening of the Fifth, the control of the crescendos and tempo of the Andante movement, and finally the youthful vigor and energy of the fourth movement Allegro. But while his execution is surprisingly good, it is apparent that it has not come full flower yet: it should be no surprise that, in his mid-twenties, Dudamel is currently in the early stages of what will become a recognizable style and flair with an orchestra. If this debut disc is any indication of things to come (and, someone at DG needs a talking to: do we really need another Fifth and Seventh?!?) Dudamel's is certainly a talent to keep a close watch on for the future.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful October 17, 2006
15 out of 18 found this review helpful

Maybe we didn't need another recording of Beethoven's 5th and 7th symphonies, but now that Dudamel's Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra has provided one, I'm glad he did.

Aside from the really compelling part of this story--that Dudamel scoops homeless and indigent kids off Venezuelan streets and gives them something to live for, saving them, and not coincidentally adding an enormous new talent pool to the music world--this is a vibrant recording, into which these kids have poured their new lives.

I'm delighted to have heard the results on a recent drive, and recommend this recording highly to all lovers of classical music--even those who already own more than one copy of each of these symphonies.

3 out of 5 stars

Calm down a bit January 13, 2008
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

Gustavo Dudamel is clearly an extraordinarily talented young conductor, and I look forward to hearing him grow with the LA Phil. While interesting, these recordings are not the interpretations of a mature conductor who has fully worked his way to an understanding of Beethoven. The orchestra, while excellent for a youth orchestra, is not world class. And the recording itself is not one of DG's best.

I think this CD is well worth listening to for the energy and potential Dudamel manifests. But with so many great recordings of these symphonies available, this is not among the best. This is a purchase for someone who already has one (or several) great recordings of these symphonies, and is looking for an opportunity to make the musical acquaintance of the young maestro Dudamel. Someday he will make mature recordings of these symphonies, and it will be interesting to look back at this disk and see how he grew.

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