Wiener Symphoniker, Jascha Horenstein – Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ‘Choral’ (1956/2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Wiener Symphoniker, Jascha Horenstein – Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ‘Choral’ (1956/2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:06:02 minutes | 665 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Pristine

Horenstein’s Beethoven Nine is that rarest of things – a recording of the symphony which fitted onto a single LP, rather than the more common three sides. This was achieved both by having some quite lengthy sides – the label claims 33 minutes and 32 minutes duration, with a split partway through the third movement – and by Horenstein conducting the work at a fair old lick. I compared it to a later recording by Solti, which runs to a more leisurely 76 and three-quarter minutes. Whilst their 2nd and 4th movements are relatively similar, Horenstein’s first movement is nearly 3 minutes quicker than Solti’s, and his third is almost 33% faster and thus five minutes shorter.

In remastering I discovered a huge amount of detail which the rather veiled 1956 production had left hidden, and the XR remastering restores a sparkling vitality to the music which matches Horestein’s pace and delivery well. I noted that the original LP production faded the master tape to silence between movements, and this has been done here as well – and I was able to take the opportunity to add some vital inter-movement breathing space.

On my near-mint pressing the second side presented a greater degree of surface swish than the first, which has been treated. I also excised an insect-like lathe whistle which was audible for much of the first side, warbling around 4.5kHz.

The end result is a particularly fine-sounding production of exceptional clarity.

Tracklist:
01. Horenstein, Pro Musica Symphony – BEETHOVEN Symphony 9 – 1st mvt. – Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (15:27)
02. Horenstein, Pro Musica Symphony – BEETHOVEN Symphony 9 – 2nd mvt. – Molto vivace (11:35)
03. Horenstein, Pro Musica Symphony – BEETHOVEN Symphony 9 – 3rd mvt. – Adagio e cantabile – Andante moderato (15:13)
04. Horenstein, Pro Musica Symphony – BEETHOVEN Symphony 9 – 4th mvt. – Presto – Allegro assai (23:45)

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