what is the best choral version of Ode To Joy? the most emotional ... or what versions do you recommend i should check?

I would recommend you check the Schwann catalog and/or any other compendium of classical reviews. BTW - Beethoven wrote it (Symphony No. 9); not anyone else.


L8R

thsnks ... maybe 2 or 3 names to check ... i'm not that classical as you can see ... but i need to check some :|

Glad to help. You write the code; I'll help with music. Eine Hand wascht die andere. One hand washes the other.

L8R

thnks a lot ... i'll wait for it

so? :|

i think the best version is the one you're used to.

my (most often listened to) one is the 1962-63 berlin philharmonic/herbert von karajan one. AFAIK this is the one used in "a clockwork orange" (at least, they sound as identical as i can ascertain with my ears and equipment). it's a deutsche grammophon release.

the CD i have of it was pressed in 1991, and is part of a boxset of the beethoven symphonies. not sure of any other details in particular.

oh, it's number-thingy is:
429 037-2 (CD5)

the cd5 bit means it's disc 5 in a set...

bit of history: the reason CDs are 74 minutes is specifically to fit beethoven's 9th, though this particular version is a bit shorter (67:01)

Karajan conducts like if he was leading a battalion

I personally prefer Wand and Solti.



That is a rumour.

Try David Zinman version of 9th Symphony. It's a very fresh, light, and joyful vision, based on new-scientific based scores. Last but not least, the editor is Arte Nova (BMG), which mean very small price (8 euros). Very well recorded (1998 IIRC)

These are all good. I especially like the Solti with the Chicago Symphony/Chorus. Not only is the musicianship top notch, but so is the recording.

For a different listen, you must try this classic recording done on period instruments:

Symphony No. 9

Yeah, the intonation isn't perfect on those things, but, oh my - just hearing what Beethoven intended is fantastic. The tempos are a bit unusual, too, mainly much quicker exactly as Beethoven marked them. His use of shorter phrases and less vibrato is well known and is evident on this recording. These recordings are a joy.

...months later...

I would recommend Barenboim´s interpretation of
Beethoven`s symphony no. 9, `Staatskapelle Berlin`
It´s an authentic live performance in 1994, enormous chorus, excellent sound quality
except a small droning tone between silence passages, but that´s life...uhm...live.

only found on german amazon but it´s not available anymore...

There are 3 Karajan recordings of the 9th symphony (according to the penguin guide). The one from 1976 should be the best of those.

There are many recordings of the 9th symphony that gets top marks by penguin but if I read it correctly the 2000 recording by Abbado is the best according to them: DG 471 491-2.


The gramophone guide prefers Furtwängler's recording from 1954: Tahra mono FURT1054/7