Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5

Iván Fischer's Beethoven is stylishly played, with careful attention to balance, elaboration of detail, and a certain bit of elegance. Where a bit of boisterousness is required, Fischer and his Hungarians are perhaps more understated than ribald, but his Beethoven is never staid or boring. In fact, a keynote to Fischer's Beethoven seems to be "expect the unexpected." I feel I could say any of this, quite accurately, about any of his Beethoven performances—these are universal characteristics. And most welcome!

These performances are full orchestra, modern instrument, performances—big band, if you will—not period performances. But they are not heavy, nor do they fall under the weight of some notion of needed monumentality. No, these all have a springy sinewy strength to them, with great textural clarity.

The Fifth is a transparent and bracing account. The music has both tautness and swagger. And the playing from the horns sets the world aright... The First is, rather by contrast, all delicate lightness, air and lyrical rightness—simply a delightful romp in the classical period.

(…) Fischer and Beethoven are saying in this work, “Expect the unexpected.” (…) Stylishly played with a refreshing emphasis on Beethoven’s elegance and finesse, albeit that his boisterous side is a little understated. (…)

(…) Fischers Beethoven wordt gekenmerkt door een uiterst zorgvuldige uitwerking aan details en een maximale zorg om de balans. Zijn enthousiasme en een uitgelezen batiljon musici doen de rest, geholpen door de uitstekende opname kwaliteit waarvoor Jarerd Sacks van Channel garant staat.

Iván Fischer leads a polished and powerful account of Beethoven’s Fifth (…) he gives the music both tautness and swagger (…)

(…) heerlijk levendige, elegante, intelligente en frisse interpretatie.

(…) Beethoven als nieuw, met een orkest uit duizenden en een dirigent die zijn muzikale intelligentie geheel in dienst stelt van de partituur. Er blijft weinig te wensen over.

(…) he gives the music both tautness and swagger, aided by some marvelously potent playing from the horns.

(…) De opname klinkt overigens als een klok. Wie over een surround-installatie beschikt waant zich in een klankparadijs. Wie uitsluitend op stereo is aangewezen hoeft echter zeker niet te treuren en zal zeker niet meer mogen verlangen. De handtekening van Jared Sacks en Daan van Aalst zegt wat dit betreft genoeg.

As with Fischer’s earlier Beethoven recordings these are ‘big band’, not period performances, with a muscular approach but one that avoids any suggestion of heaviness thanks to the athletic thrust and textural clarity that the conductor elicits from his players. (…) The 5.0 DSD recording was made in the generous acoustic of the Palace of Arts, Budapest in February 2017 by Jared Sacks who also undertook the editing and mastering processes. In terms of tonal warmth, clarity and a commendably wide soundstage it achieves the peerless standard of sound quality familiar from Channel Classics releases.

(...) Net uit, dus op tijd voor het Beethovenjaar 2020: heerlijke levendige, elegante, intelligente en frisse interpretatie. (...)