Repackaging Beethoven series recordings into an introductory album for newcomers to classical music is something that happens often, but this release featuring Argentine-Israeli-Spanish-Palestinian conductor Daniel Barenboim is not exactly typical of the genre. It consists of excerpts from Barenboim recordings made with two different orchestras, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Berlin. With the former he plays movements from Beethoven''s symphonies; with the latter he is soloist in movements from Beethoven''s concertos for piano and orchestra; he also plays movements of several famous Beethoven piano sonatas on his own. The selections are all ...
Repackaging Beethoven series recordings into an introductory album for newcomers to classical music is something that happens often, but this release featuring Argentine-Israeli-Spanish-Palestinian conductor Daniel Barenboim is not exactly typical of the genre. It consists of excerpts from Barenboim recordings made with two different orchestras, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Berlin. With the former he plays movements from Beethoven''s symphonies; with the latter he is soloist in movements from Beethoven''s concertos for piano and orchestra; he also plays movements of several famous Beethoven piano sonatas on his own. The selections are all Beethoven favorites, and it''s hard to quarrel with the program, although be aware that many recordings of this kind present at least one whole work straight through; here all you get are excerpts. The drawing card here is Barenboim himself, one of the very few artists equally distinguished as a pianist and conductor, and likewise one of the few with the idealistic, broadly communicative vision that draws new listeners to the classics. The other forces involved are less successful. The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, named for a book of poetry by Goethe on Islamic and Orientalist themes, is a youth group featuring musicians from around the Mediterranean basin, including both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. They''re quite something to see in person, and Barenboim gets enthusiastic performances out of them, but for the usual demonstration of what Beethoven''s orchestral music is like, they don''t quite fill the bill, nor fit with the Staatskapelle Berlin. Still, there''s a positive X factor here, based on the basic connection between Barenboim''s aims as a musician and the universalist themes in Beethoven''s own music. This perhaps shouldn''t be your only introduction to Beethoven, but as one of a group it could play an unusual role.
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Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - James Manheim
Repackaging Beethoven series recordings into an introductory album for newcomers to classical music is something that happens often, but this release featuring Argentine-Israeli-Spanish-Palestinian conductor Daniel Barenboim is not exactly typical of the genre. It consists of excerpts from Barenboim recordings made with two different orchestras, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Berlin. With the former he plays movements from Beethoven''s symphonies; with the latter he is soloist in movements from Beethoven''s concertos for piano and orchestra; he also plays movements of several famous Beethoven piano sonatas on his own. The selections are all ...