BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3; Symphony No. 7 in A – San Francisco Sym./ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media

by | Jul 3, 2012 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3; Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 32 – San Francisco Symphony/ Michael Tilson Thomas – SFS Media multichannel SACD 821936-0054-2, 53:40 [U.S. Distr. by Harmonia mundi] *****:
Here’s the sequel to the SF Symphony’s previous SACD of Beethoven’s Fifth, but they are not planning a complete Beethoven Symphonies set. The cover photo of the Yosemite Lower Falls seem completely appropriate to the music. These two live recordings, made in 2010 and 2011, rise immediately to the top of my list of the best Beethoven Sevenths, although I haven’t been into a lot of A/B comparisons of the many versions out there. I have the complete set from LSO Live on SACD, but find Bernard Haitink takes the first movement of the Seventh—my favorite of the nineat far too fast a clip for me. MTT seems to have it just right, and both SACDs capture the natural ambience of their respective concert halls with realism and clarity.
The San Francisco Symphony is continuing an ongoing exploration of the music of Beethoven. This season they are performing the Sixth and the closing concert will feature the Ninth. Both will then be released as SACDs. MTT has three programs scheduled for next year that will explore Beethoven’s earliest inspirations and how they informed not only his own style but that of composers who came after. That will culminate in a performance of the composer’s Missa solemnis. The symphony is also committed to performing the work of American maverick composers, and next season is scheduled to release several SACDs of recordings made during their 2012 American Mavericks Festival.
John Sunier

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