157 LP / Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 1 & 2

4 reviews for 157 LP / Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 1 & 2

1. Analog 2/2017 – 1. September 2017

   (...) This complete recording is a treasure both technically and musically (...)
   „Analog“ – das Magazin der „Analog Audio Association“

2. LP-Magazin – 1. May 2007

   Beethovens Erstlinge als agile Röhren-Version
   (...) The lean chamber orchestra is exceptionally well suited to Beethoven’s music. Wojciech Rajski knows how to make the most of its advantages, skillfully bringing individual lines to the fore. And anyone familiar with the TACET recordings (and who isn’t?) will certainly appreciate the warmer sound characteristic of the tube equipment.
   akb

3. image hifi – 1. May 2007

   This recording demonstrates how a compelling Beethoven performance can be achieved even without an explicit reference to historical performance practice. Wojciech Rajski chooses pleasantly flowing, at times quite brisk tempi, which clearly bring joy to the well-prepared orchestra musicians. As a result, the music never lacks momentum, yet the performers’ enthusiasm never threatens to tip into haste. (…)
   mv

4. Connaisseur Mailorder Schallplattenversand – 1. January 2007

   Even more than the already released recording of the Seventh Symphony with this ensemble, Beethoven’s first two symphonies suit the lean chamber orchestra perfectly (after all, they were – given the circumstances of the time – conceived for orchestras of this size). Aesthetically, these recordings are not far removed from those of Hermann Scherchen or René Leibowitz: there is no Romanticism here; instead, the spirit of the era shaped by the French Revolution is both audible and palpable. Formally, this music still belongs to the Classical period, that of Haydn and Mozart – yet even these early symphonies by Beethoven are no longer suitable for mere entertainment at princely courts. This music was written to provoke, to awaken! It is almost paradoxical that it seems to achieve this far more effectively when performed by a relatively small ensemble than by a large symphony orchestra steeped in the Romantic tradition. The tempi chosen by Wojciech Rajski and his dynamic shaping of the music also reveal that here is someone who has engaged deeply with Beethoven and his era. The extremely transparent and precise sound of this Tacet tube recording perfectly supports the conductor’s musical concept. In short: a fantastic recording, one that we now want to include in the canon of great Beethoven interpretations!
   Connaisseur Mailorder Schallplattenversand