7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
Music | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0
Music: LPCM 2.0
English, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
One of the (many) glories of the new Beethoven Symphony cycle on Blu-ray from conductor Christain Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic is the inclusion of absolutely incredible, in depth musicological analyses of each of the symphonies, presented as bonus documentaries on each disc. With noted (no pun intended) music historian Joachim Kaiser as guide and interviewer, these documentaries are a feast for the ears while also being an incredible source of background information. Kaiser spends a little bit of time in one of the documentaries on this new Blu-ray featuring Beethoven final triumvirate of symphonies lamenting the “artificial” division of Beethoven’s oeuvre into three periods. Similarly, there often seems to be an equally artificial division with regard to the symphonies themselves, with the nonet being sliced and diced into three parts of three each. What is even stranger is that within each of these artificial triptychs, one “panel” tends to be overlooked, no doubt unfairly, in favor of its two more supposedly impressive brethren. Therefore when looking at the first three symphonies, often the Second is ignored at the expense of the rule-breaking First and the literally heroic Third. In our second trio, the Fourth never seems to muster the attention that the iconic Fifth and alternately lilting and stormily pastoral Sixth do. With regard to the final third, for some reason the Eighth gets the short shrift when bookended by, to quote Kaiser again, the “temperamental radiance” of the Seventh and the impossible grandeur and grandiosity of the Ninth. What’s so especially stunning about this new cycle, then, is that each and every Symphony is accorded the same attention to detail, both in terms of the performances themselves, as well as the stellar “peek beneath the covers” that is explored in each of the Symphonies. (It should be noted that we haven’t been able to procure the February release of Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, and 3 from distributor Naxos, but hope to soon).
Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 7, 8 & 9 are presented on Blu-ray courtesy of C Major and Unitel Classica, and feature an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. This is a bright and very sharp looking release that offers the gilt opulence of the Goldener Saal in Vienna in all its glory. Coverage of Thielemann and the orchestra is top notch, and close-ups reveal a wealth of fine detail. Colors are bold and extremely well saturated and contrast and black levels are solid. The transfer suffers from some very slight artifacting, probably due to its interlaced source, and so there is minor, but occasionally distracting, shimmer and aliasing. Otherwise, though, this is a splendid looking Blu-ray release.
Two brilliantly effective lossless audio tracks are offered on this new Blu-ray, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 mix and an LPCM 2.0 stereo folddown. Stick with the 5.0 in this case, if your home theater is set up to handle it, for you'll be welcomed into a beautifully immersive accounting of all three symphonies. Fidelity is superb throughout all three performances, with gorgeously mixed orchestral sections that are well placed spatially and never overpower each other. Probably most impressive about this recording is its absolutely amazing dynamic range, courtesy of Thielemann's intense attention to detail. As noted above, there are some slight balance issues in the choral finale of the Ninth, where some of the soloists sound inadequately amplified, or at the least are not mixed as far up as they should be. That's a passing and relatively minor qualm, however, in an otherwise practically perfect soundtrack.
Discovering Beethoven is simply one of the finest sets of documentaries any classical music lover could hope for. Split into three segments, one for each symphony, the set is a nonstop revelation of insight and analysis that amounts to a doctoral dissertation delivered by both Kaiser and Thielemann. Symphony No. 7 (1080i; 58:47), Symphony No. 8 (1080i; 53:03), and Symphony No. 9 (1080i; 57:19) all get amazingly in-depth treatment here, and even better we get comparative snippets of other conductors interpreting these iconic pieces. Those snippets include such legends as von Karajan, Bernstein, Solti and Fürtwangler. This is one of those rare instances where the supplements are as compelling as the main feature.
It's a rare and unexpected experience to hear symphonies this familiar as if they're totally new pieces, and yet that is exactly what Thielemann has accomplished with this thrilling release. Kaiser mentions in the documentary on the Seventh how he envies young people who are hearing the Seventh for the first time, but all three of these symphonies are like completely new beasts under the fabulous direction of Thielemann and the impeccable playing and artistry of the Vienna Philharmonic. This is being touted as the first ever Beethoven cycle on Blu-ray, and it's a lucky thing that it's so elegantly successful, as it augurs well for the format as a whole. Just as fine as the interpretations themselves are the absolutely first rate documentaries, which are easily among the finest of their kind anywhere in any classical home video release. Highly recommended.
Christian Thielemann / Wiener Philharmoniker
2008-2010
Christian Thielemann / Wiener Philharmoniker
2008-2010
(Still not reliable for this title)
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