hbmlJ,-v, J ')54

The GR.1MOPHO;VE

*"This is a great perforIllance, superbly recorded . . .

... This is a record for all times."

*Noothl'r J'e conled perfOl'mance of the C minor symphony, ill 0111' opinion, equals this one. Tht·

first 11Iovpmt'nt is plav ed with staggering force and surp'lssing arti st ry , without ~lf1y trick s, and Beethoven hilllSI'lf, a l in' ami volcanic, seems to invade the room. 'Vl' confe ss thilt we h ad tears in our eyes

~YM'PHONY No 5 IN C MINOR

Ell IC'R iL.U BE R eo.dutling THE CO\(ERl'&EBOUW ORClIt~'TR .' Of AMSTElI qAlf

.

at the end o f this movement , and i t was as if w e wen' hearing thl' mll sic for the first t ime . What a colossal piece i t is! The rest of the performance is fllily comparable; in th e slo\\' movement, Kh'iber keeps th e rhythm "liv!' and intense with · Ollt inllucing any sense of h as te; in the schnzo

BEETHOVEN . SYMPHONY No.5 IN C MINOR, OPUS 67 ERICH KLEIBER conulictillg THE CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA

LXT 2851

DECCA *

th e horns a re quit e terrifyingly beautiful , and only a very slight flllctuation of tempo mars what mif!ht hav e been an ideal performance. The st,.jngs ill the tria sho\\' tremendolls bite and power, and the wond erful l ink to the j ina/,' is as tense and exciting as anything w e have eve r hea rd . ThejiJl u./(' i tself is taken at a deliberate pace , giving i t a dignity that is on ly enhancel] b\' powerful concentration on th e rhythmic impetlls . This is a great pe rforlllanc e, s'iperbly recorded. I f we hear a b etter one , we shall be astonished. Those superior ones w ho profess themselves" t ired" of Beethove n No.5 had better li st e n to this. This is a record for all t imes.

This is an extract from th e E.M.G . Month/,' .Y('ws Let/'T, D/ ·('cmbcr. 195 J

THE DECCA R P: C () !~ I) CO,,! P .~ : \ Y L T I) . , 1 - J 13[~ rXTO:\ ROAD, LONDON, S. W. 9