Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Beethoven: Symphonies 4-6 Blu-ray Movie Review

An amazing new Beethoven cycle includes brilliant documentary interviews.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 29, 2011

As incredible as it may seem, we haven't yet had a complete Beethoven symphony cycle on Blu-ray. At least, until now. This new undertaking by Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic seems destined to set the standard for high definition presentation of the Beethoven symphonies for many years to come. With unusually nuanced performances of the middle triptych of Beethoven’s nonet, this first release of the cycle augurs one of the more memorable outings of symphonies that for better or worse are often treated with a sort of casual approach, courtesy of having become so very, very familiar over the passage of time. Perhaps at least as impressive as the performances themselves, if not more so, are the audaciously effective hour long documentaries which supplement each symphony. Thielemann turns out to be an incredibly thoughtful and inerrantly articulate spokesman, and when one considers the interviewer is one of the most distinguished contemporary German musicologists, Dr. Joachine Kaiser, one becomes privy to almost a Master’s level thesis in musical discourse, from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. This first release is notable, perhaps by design, in combining two of Beethoven’s best known pieces with a symphony that for some odd reason often gets short shrift in critical analyses of Beethoven’s oeuvre, the strangely overlooked Symphony No. 4.

The Fourth Symphony has the unfortunate distinction of being sandwiched between two of the most famous pieces in all of symphonic literature, the Eroica and perhaps the most famous symphony of all time, Beethoven’s Fifth. Like a long ignored sibling who stutters and hems and haws, the Fourth itself starts out with a very hesitant, almost faltering, approach that seems to hint at Beethoven almost taking a musical breather of sorts between two titanic compositional tasks. And yet once the Fourth finally swings into full motion, it turns out to be one of Beethoven’s most effortlessly carefree and lyrical symphonies. Thielemann explores the nooks and crannies of this piece with a really deeply sympathetic ear, drawing the halting melodies of the opening Adagio prelude and the actual Adagio of the second movement with appealing languor. The Fourth’s third movement is probably the most famous of this particular piece, and Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic dance through its ebullience with vigor and élan.

Of course with the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, we’re in much more familiar territory, and that is repeatedly a problem for a lot of modern interpreters. How can one approach scores this well known and impart some degree of personality to them without resorting to gimmicks? The answer is quite simple, at least for Thielemann. Both of these readings are impeccable, in a Fürtwanglerian sense, wonderfully, almost magically, controlled without ever sacrificing the passion of any given sequence. Thielemann continually surprises with unexpected tenuti and sudden changes of tempi through both of these Symphonies, but his choices never seem forced or fanciful. How many times have you heard the First Movement of the Fifth? Probably more than you’ll be able remember, but under Thielemann’s baton, it’s suddenly a completely new and remarkable piece, divorced from previous interpretations without being separated from the work’s own intrinsic tradition.

The other remarkable aspect to these readings is the incredible variety of dynamics Thielemann elicits from this expert group of musicians. One expects huge crescendo in famous moments like the Sixth’s storm movement, but what continually delights and engages the listener in these performances is a really fluid and completely conscious awareness of how dynamics can help shape individual lines and indeed the entire architecture of any given symphony. The Vienna Philharmonic responds to these rather incessant (but never annoying) changes with really amazing flexibility, and that responsiveness to Thielemann’s choices help to make these interpretations all the more incisive and invigorating.

It’s fascinating to watch Thielemann conduct. This is obviously a man with a playful spirit, but one who does not suffer fools gladly. Watch how he insists the audience quiets down before he begins any given movement. He’ll just stand there, waiting, waiting, until the coughing, paper rustling and general hubbub have subsided. But then when he conducts he does completely childlike things like covering his mouth in glee as his eyebrows raise to impossible heights. Also note how, though he holds his baton in his right hand, he’s just as apt to lead the orchestra with his left. It’s a sort of ambidextrous virtuosity that makes the conductor as much fun to watch as he is to listen to.

The problem with "yet another" Beethoven Symphony cycle is a lot of people, for better or worse, are going to yawn and ask, "Why, whatever for?" We've seen a number of relatively boneheaded attempts to reimagine Beethoven in a post-modernist framework, and it's actually bracing to have someone like Thielemann show that a resolutely Classical interpretation can still breathe, incredibly so, in fact. These symphonies may seem like a pair of old brown shoes you've worn a few too many times, but Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic have brought an incredible amount of spit and polish to them and they've rarely looked or sounded this wonderful.

Beethoven: Symphonies 4-6 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Fourth was performed in March 2009 and the Fifth and Sixth in April 2010 at Vienna's ornate but rather cramped looking Musikverein. Offered on Blu-ray with an AVC codec in 1080i and 1.78:1, all three of these concerts (which play right after each other) look splendidly sharp and wonderfully well detailed. Colors are beautifully saturated and fine detail is excellent. Somehow both television directors managed to cram their cameras into somewhat unexpected nooks and crannies (pay attention to just how close the orchestra sits together, and how close they are to the audience), and therefore coverage is really fabulous, including good close-ups of soloists which reveal excellent detail.

Beethoven: Symphonies 4-6 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both the lossless audio options on this Blu-ray, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 and an LPCM 2.0, are, to put it simply, perfect. No subwoofer is utilized in the surround mix, but the low end is still incredibly abundant and the rolling tympani of the Fifth and Sixth come through with appropriate robustness. Fidelity here is simply exceptional, with gorgeously rich horn tones and wonderfully warm strings. The Musikverein has exceptional acoustics and the surround mix offers a very pleasant, lifelike hall ambience that supports and give breath to this incredible music. Balance between the sections is also spot on, and, as discussed above in the main body of the review, dynamic range here is simply phenomenal. Classical music lovers will rejoice in the incredible clarity and precision of both of these lossless tracks.

Beethoven: Symphonies 4-6 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Discovering Beethoven is without a doubt one of the most excellent pieces of exegesis with regard to both Beethoven in general and these symphonies in particular in recent memory. Split into three segments, each devoted to one symphony, we get Joachim Kaiser and Thielemann discussing The Fourth (1080i; 51:50), Fifth (1080i; 1:03:20) and Sixth (1080i; 57:54) in incredible detail. Even more remarkably, the two discuss other conductors' interpretations (Bernstein, von Karajan, et al.) and show excerpts from those versions and then contrast them with Thielemann's own approach. This is some of the most fascinating and in depth musical conversation you'll ever experience, and it will probably intrigue and entrance you at least as much as the symphonies themselves, which is really saying something.

Beethoven: Symphonies 4-6 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's easy to become blasé when confronted with yet another Beethoven symphony release. Well, to paraphrase a certain actress in Moonstruck, "Snap out of it!" This is one of the most exciting new releases of the year, augmented by a simply fantastic set of documentaries that is both instructive and completely entertaining. I can't wait to hear the other six symphonies in this cycle. Very highly recommended.