Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Amazon has jumbled the order of the photos. Photo 1: DG BOX = 101 CDs (with duplications) + 17 CDs of historical or period instrument performances + 3 Blu-ray Audio discs + 2 DVDs: BTHVN 2020 - Beethoven The New Complete Edition reviewed on this page. This box costs more than Warner and Naxos combined (but the new DG box costs less than half what the 25 year old DG Beethoven Edition cost). Hardcover Beethoven biography + nine separate booklets. Texts and English translations for the vocal works: BIG PLUS FOR DG. Padded out with multiple performances of major works (but you have to pay for them). Five different performances of the Ninth Symphony alone: Bernstein, Fricsay, Gardiner, and two performances by Karajan (1962 and 1976). Nice that DG includes both standard and period instrument performances of the complete Symphonies and most Concerti (but they forgot period instrument recordings of Piano Concerti 3 & 5). DG has the most thorough documentation. THE DG BOX IS MY DEFAULT RECOMMENDATION. Biggest negatives are the high price, Gardiner’s messy edition of ‘Leonore’, and the omission of Op.41, Op.42, Op.63 & Op.64 (see below). Photo 2: WARNER BOX = 80 CDs Beethoven - The Complete Works (80CD) One booklet. No texts or translations for vocal works. Careless: Warner forgot the final movement (Allegro) of the String Quartet Op.130 Photo 3: NAXOS BOX = 90 CDs Beethoven Complete Edition [Naxos: 8500250] One booklet. Naxos provides most, but not all, of the texts and translations on their website - but it takes a while to find what you are looking for. It has more previously unpublished rarities than the other two combined - special appeal for scholars. More user-friendly than Warner, but it falls short of DG. NAXOS IS MY SECOND CHOICE - RECOMMENDED IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD THE DG BOX. (also has appeal for scholars looking for early versions and rarities). FOUR OPUS NUMBERS THAT GET NO RESPECT: Apologies to Rodney Dangerfield. None of the three boxes include all of Beethoven’s opus numbers. The DG box, which is otherwise the most attractive, is missing four Opus Numbers published during Beethoven’s lifetime. ---- Op.41: Serenade for Flute and Piano in D major - an arrangement of Op.25, the Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola. ---- Op.42: Notturno for Viola and Piano in D major - an arrangement of Op.8, the Serenade for Violin, Viola and Cello. ---- Op.63: Piano Trio in E-Flat Major - an arrangement of the Op.4 String Quintet ---- Op.64: Sonata for Cello and Piano in E-flat major - an arrangement of the Op.3 String Trio. The Naxos box has Op.41 and Op.64 (missing Op.42 and Op.63) The Warner box has Op.41 and Op.42 (missing Op.63 and Op.64) The DG box has none of them. All four arrangements were the work of Beethoven’s students (apparently Beethoven made some corrections). DG uses this as an excuse to leave them out of their box (they were also missing from the old DG Beethoven Edition). But these works were published during Beethoven’s lifetime and Beethoven accepted payment from the publisher. I think any “Complete” Beethoven Edition should include all opus numbers approved by Beethoven. None of the boxes include Op.63 - if you want to hear it, try Ludwig van Beethoven Trios avec piano H. 47, K. 3 & Op. 63 OTHER MISSING WORKS: Beethoven submitted two Trios (Op.11 and Op.38) to his publisher in alternate versions for Clarinet or Violin. ------- Op.11: Trio in B-flat Major: The Clarinet/Cello/Piano version is in ALL THREE BOXES. The Violin/Cello/Piano version is ONLY IN THE DG BOX. ------- Op.38: Trio in E-Flat Major: The Clarinet/Cello/Piano version is in the WARNER AND NAXOS BOXES. The Violin/Cello/Piano version is ONLY IN THE DG BOX. ---- Op.17: Sonata for Cello and Piano in F major: Beethoven’s alternate version of his Horn Sonata, is MISSING FROM THE WARNER BOX, but is in the DG AND NAXOS BOXES [Maria Kliegel on Naxos is the only cellist to record all seven sonatas: the traditional five + Op.17 + Op.64]. ---- Op.72a: Leonore (first version, 1805): MISSING FROM DG (which claims it has the 1805 version, but doesn’t) - see “Problems with Leonore” * ---- Op.72b: Leonore (second version, 1806): MISSING FROM ALL THREE BOXES - see “Problems with Leonore” * ---- Op.130: String Quartet in B-flat major - Finale (Allegro): MISSING FROM WARNER - This quartet has two finales, published a year apart. The Artemis Quartet on Warner recorded the first finale (the “Grosse fuge”) but not Beethoven’s second finale, and there is no alternate recording on Warner’s list of contents. The “Grosse fuge” was published separately as Op.133. RECONSTRUCTED WORKS: ---- Symphony No.10 in-E flat major (Biamonti 838): MISSING FROM ALL THREE BOXES - Reconstructed by Barry Cooper from Beethoven’s sketches of the first movement. Premiered in 1988 by Wyn Morris and the London Symphony. The Tenth created quite a stir at the time, but has since dropped from sight: Beethoven: Symphony No. 10- World Premier. ---- Macbeth Overture (Biamonti 454) and Oboe Concerto (Hess 12): MISSING FROM ALL THREE BOXES - Reconstructed by Willem Holsbergen from Beethoven’s sketches. The Macbeth Overture was premiered in 2001 by Leonard Slatkin and the Washington National Symphony. Both works were recorded by Yuval Waldman and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic (H. David Meyers oboe) Beethoven: Lost & Rediscovered. Basically just curiosities. The problem with the Tenth Symphony, Macbeth Overture and Oboe Concerto is that reconstructing an orchestral work requires a much more interventionist (creative?) approach from the editor than completing an incomplete piano score. SPURIOUS WORKS: ---- Three Duos for Clarinet and Bassoon (WoO 27), once attributed to Beethoven, are now believed to be spurious. They are in the Naxos box (CD 60), where they are played in a doubly spurious version for Flute and Bassoon (Kazunori Seo & Mitsuo Kodama). Inexplicably, Warner licensed the Naxos recording for their box (CD 57). Not in the DG box. ---- The ‘Jena’ Symphony (WoO Anh.1), published in 1911, is definitely spurious, composed by Friederich Witt. Naxos owns a recording (Witt: 2 Symphonies & Flute Concerto), but decided against including it in their Beethoven box (also not in DG or Warner boxes). * PROBLEMS WITH LEONORE: Beethoven composed three versions of the same opera, with four different overtures: ---- 1805 Version 1: Leonore Op.72a, opens with Leonore Overture No.2 (this should have been labelled “Leonore Overture No.1”, but the order was screwed up by publishers after Beethoven’s death). ---- 1806 Version 2: Leonore Op.72b, opens with Leonore Overture No.3 (this should have been labelled “Leonore Overture No.2”). ---- 1807 Version “2a” Beethoven planned a third version of Leonore, but only got as far as a new overture, published posthumously as Leonore Overture No.1 with the ridiculous opus number of Op.138 - Beethoven’s final opus (this should have been labelled “Leonore Overture No.3, Op.72c”). ---- 1814 Version 3: renamed Fidelio Op.72, opens with the Fidelio Overture. All three boxes have Fidelio and the four overtures. ---- the DG box lacks the 1805 and 1806 versions of Leonore. Instead, John Eliot Gardner prepared a conflated version of 1805 and 1806 (with some 1814 Fidelio thrown in for good measure). This is a totally unsatisfactory solution for a scholarly edition of Beethoven’s works. ---- Warner and Naxos have the same (excellent) recording of the 1805 Leonore conducted by Herbert Blomstedt, but to get the libretto and translation, you need the original Berlin Classics CD release, which I recommend: Beethoven: Leonore. ---- the 1806 version of Leonore Op.72b is MISSING FROM ALL THREE BOXES - the 1806 version has significant differences from the 1805 version and it’s omission is a serious black mark against all three companies. But it has been recorded - by the other DG (Dabringhaus und Grim): Beethoven: Leonore (1806 version) (with libretto and translation). ---- following Blomstedt’s recording of the 1805 version, the orchestral sketch WoO2b (previously thought to be an Entr’acte from Tarpeja) was determined to be the prelude to Act Two of Leonore in 1805. Gardiner recorded it with his version of Leonore on DG. Blomstedt’s recording lacked it, but it is in both the Warner box (disc 11, conducted by Dausgaard) and the Naxos box (disc 7, conducted by Segerstam). NEWLY RECORDED RARITIES: In 1969, for the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Deutsche Grammophon issued the first Beethoven Edition on LP (reissued on CD 25 years ago). Beethoven scholarship has uncovered a lot of previously “lost” works in the past fifty years. All three companies claim first recording rights to a number of rarities (Naxos has the most, Warner the least). Exclusive to DG: 23 rarities Exclusive to Naxos: 111 rarities Exclusive to Warner: 5 rarities Common to DG and Naxos: 32 rarities Common to DG and Warner: 1 rarity Common to Naxos and Warner: 17 rarities Common to all three boxes: 29 rarities For a list of “rarities” (and an explanation of “WoO”, Hess and Biamonti) see Comment One (“sort by “Oldest”). MAJOR WORKS: SYMPHONIES: ---- DG: two complete sets: Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic (1962, BLU-RAY Audio) + Gardiner, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (period instruments) ---- Warner: Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe ---- Naxos: Drahos, Nicolas Esterhazy Sinfonietta ---- DG bonus: 25 symphonies conducted by Abbado, Bernstein, Bohm, Chailly, Fricsay, Giulini, Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Monteux, Nelsons, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Furtwangler (mono), Erich Kleiber (mono), Scherchen (mono) + Carlos Kleiber DVD Video + single movements (mono) conducted by Nikisch, Strauss, Klemperer, Karajan & van Kempen OVERTURES: ---- DG: Abbado, Chailly, Fricsay, Klee, Szell, Gardiner (period instruments), Busch (mono), Furtwangler (mono), Klemperer (mono) ---- Warner: Barenboim, Dausgaard, Klemperer, Muti ---- Naxos: Drahos, Gunzenhauser, Segerstam, Skrowaczewski CREATURES OF PROMETHEUS: ---- DG: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra ---- Warner: Harnoncourt ---- Naxos: Segerstam + Beethoven’s transcription for solo piano EGMONT INCIDENTAL MUSIC: ---- DG: Abbado ---- Warner: Masur ---- Naxos: Segerstam WELLINGTON’S VICTORY: ---- DG: Karajan + Beethoven’s transcription for solo piano ---- Warner: Dausgaard ---- Naxos: Lenárd + Beethoven’s transcription for solo piano CONCERTI (5) for PIANO: ---- DG: 15 recordings by 10 pianists: Argerich, Arrau, Brendel, Buchbinder, A. Fischer, Gulda, Kempff, Pollini, Zimerman, Levin (period instruments) ---- Warner: Schiff/ Haitink ---- Naxos: Vladar/ Wordsworth CONCERTO for VIOLIN: ---- DG: four recordings: Mutter/Karajan + Repin/Muti + Schneiderhan/Jochum + Zehetmair/Bruggen (period instruments) ---- Warner: Perlman/Giulini ---- Naxos: Nishizaki/Jean CONCERTO for VIOLIN arranged for PIANO: ---- DG: Barenboim, piano & cond. ---- Warner: Duchable/ Menuhin ---- Naxos: Jandó/ Drahos CONCERTO for PIANO, VIOLIN, CELLO: ---- DG: Chung Trio/ M.W.Chung cond. ---- Warner: Barenboim piano & cond, Perlman, Ma ---- Naxos: Jandó, Dong-Suk Kang, Kliegel/ Drahos FANTASY FOR PIANO, CHORUS & ORCHESTRA: ---- DG: Pollini/Abbado + Levin/Gardiner (period instruments) ---- Warner: Aimard/Harnoncourt ---- Naxos: McCawley/Wetton ROMANCES (2) for VIOLIN & ORCHESTRA: ---- DG: Mutter/Masur + Zehetmair/Bruggen in Romance No.2 only (period instruments) ---- Warner: Perlman/Barenboim ---- Naxos: Nishizaki/Jean MASS Op.86: ---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments) ---- Warner: Giulini ---- Naxos: Segerstam MISSA SOLEMNIS: ---- DG: Karajan (1966) + Gardiner (period instruments) ---- Warner: Klemperer ---- Naxos: Schermerhorn CHRIST ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES: ---- DG: Klee ---- Warner: Wangenheim ---- Naxos: Segerstam FIDELIO (1814 final version) ---- DG: Abbado + Bernstein (DVD Video) ---- Warner: Klemperer ---- Naxos: Halász LEONORE (1805 & 1806 versions of Fidelio) ---- DG: Gardiner (period instruments) - conductor’s hybrid of 1805, 1806 and even 1814 versions ---- Warner: Blomstedt - 1805 version ---- Naxos: Blomstedt - 1805 version PIANO SONATAS: ---- DG: Wilhelm Kempff (BLU-RAY Audio) ---- Warner: Stephen Kovacevich ---- Naxos: Jeno Jando ---- DG bonus: 57 sonatas performed by Arrau, Ashkenazy, Backhaus, Brendel, Freire, Gilels, Grimaud, Gulda, Kissin, Kocsis, Kovacevich, Lupu, Michelangeli, Perahia, Pogorelich, Pollini, Richter, Serkin, Uchida, Rubin (fortepiano), Haskil (mono), Kempff (mono), Schnabel (mono) CELLO SONATAS: ---- DG: Maisky/ Argerich ---- Warner: Starker/Buchbinder ---- Naxos: Kliegel/Jando ---- DG bonus: Fournier/Kempff (3), Rostropovich/Richter (5) VIOLIN SONATAS ---- DG: Kremer/Argerich (1-4) + Perlman/Ashkenazy (5,6) + Mutter/Orkis (7,9) + Dumay/Pires (8-10) + Menuhin/Kempff (variations etc.) ---- Warner: Capucon/Braley ---- Naxos: Nishizaki/Jando PIANO TRIOS: ---- DG: Beaux Arts Trio + Previn/Mullova/Schiff + Kempff/Szeryng/Fournier ---- Warner: Barenboim/Zukerman/DuPre ---- Naxos: Xyrion Trio ---- DG bonus: Staier/Sepec/Queyras (period instruments) + Levin/Hanson/Watkin (period instruments) + Gilels/Kogan/Rostropovich (mono) STRING TRIOS: ---- DG: Mutter/Giuranna/Rostropovich ---- Warner: Perlman/Zukerman/Harrell ---- Naxos: Falvay/Fejervari/Eder STRING QUARTETS: ---- DG: Amadeus Quartet (BLU-RAY Audio) ---- Warner: Artemis Quartet - they play the Grosse fuge (later published as Op.133) as the final movement of Op.130 - but not the replacement finale. This is not a typo. ---- Naxos: Kodaly Quartet ---- DG bonus: Emerson Quartet (early & middle quartets) + Takacs and Hagen Quartets (late quartets) + assorted quartets by Lindsay Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Shuppanzigh Quartet (period instruments), Busch Quartet (mono), Hollywood Quartet (mono)