About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

The recordings contained within the fruitcake-box-like metal container housing this five-disc set are some of the great bargain-bin classics. They were originally recorded for the Everest label in 1960, and even back then the sound wasn't too good. Now, after several transfers from the original masters, it's down to atrocious. (This is not the remastered version of these recordings that appeared in the 1990s, but a reissue of the original recordings.) If someone is getting a new stereo as a gift, this would be a terrible choice to go with it. If sound is of secondary importance, however -- if someone has expressed enthusiasm for Beethoven and you've decided to buy the person a gift for a long commute in a car or train, say -- these performances are cheap at the price. Josef Krips was an Austrian conductor who learned his craft just after the First World War, survived the Second by fleeing to Belgrade, and emerged as a grand old man during the boom years of classical music. The readings of the works some call the Big Nine are straightforward, muscular, and warm. The "Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125," is actually one of the highlights of the set, featuring a young Shirley Verrett (with name misspelled) as one of the soloists. The bottom line is that if these Beethoven symphonies were good enough for your parents, or maybe grandparents, in college, when they cost about 10 bucks for a big box of LPs, they're still good enough now. James Manheim, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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