Repertoire: The IDEAL Beethoven Overtures 

The Leonore Overture #3 is one of my favorite pieces of music OF ALL TIME!! The Coda gives me so much glee and joy that I am literally at tears every time I listen to it. One of my favorites is from a live Bruno Walter Fidelio performance from 1941 but that Skrowaczewski smokes too!!

Klemperer's Consecration of the House is manic. I love it. ,

Szell's Beethoven overtures are of course fabulous, some of his best stuff. In my never-ending quest to find great VPO performances, I've discovered that I really like Abbado with Coriolan and Prometheus. But the true stand-out is Lenny Bernstein with his live recording of Leonore No. 3 in Vienna. Amazing flute playing, those sweet strings, Viennese horns and Lenny at the helm - one of his best Beethoven recordings!

I must tell you i cant wait for your great advices every day, grazie David!

Whenever David inserts The 9th snippet into his videos, I feel the need to buy popcorn.

Wow so many to choose from...thanks Dave.

My partner had to come over and help me off the floor after I fell off the sofa laughing hysterically at your remarks about the Zur Namensfeier!!!!

Having listened to this hot on the heels of your Presto podcast interview with Mr. Cowan, it struck me how my listening has been intimidated by the weight of the discourse around Beethoven. We in Australia are so removed from it all! I'm relatively late to that discourse, and it is overwhelming. I do, however, find the Overtures less overwhelming (and really only knew the Coriolan and Egmont well before now) and look forward to making my own list one day. Thanks again for another starter pack.

I just listened to that Markevitch...great fun! Thank you for the recommendation.

I love Klemperer in this material, his Egmont is one of my favorites. I just found that Szell disc so I'll definitely give that one a shot!

That chattering bassoon obligato in the Weihe des Hauses overture comes through beautifully in the Klemperer-Philharmonia recording - that liking of his for the woodwinds that you have pointed out a number of times really pays off in this passage. I think the slow march which begins this overture would work quite well as a graduation processional if some college don got sick of hearing Pomp and Circumstance every year.

I love Ruins of Athens by of all things....the Hanover Band. Also, love ZELL Leonore 3. Thanks, David.

King Stephan is an amazing overture!

My favourite recording for the Leonore no.3 is with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Leonard Bernstein

That Skrowaczewski/Minnesota Leonore 3 excerpt is so good that I was all set to order the twofer. But something made me pause and take a look at my copy of Brilliant Classics' 85-disc "complete" Beethoven box. It turns out that the bulk of the S/M set is in there. [NOTE: There are a few different versions of the Brilliant box and I don't know if the S/M overtures are in all of them.]

Schmidt-Isserstedt and the Vienna nail the Consecration of the House Overture as nobody else does. He gets the most power by not hurrying too much, keeping always the necessary grandness, stateliness, and yet also the energy. Nobody else compares.

The quick tune in the King Stephen Overture always reminded me of "Shortnin Bread" recorded by Nelson Eddie. "Put on the skillet, put on the lead (?), Mammy's gonna make a little short'nin' bread; That ain't all she's gonna to do, Mammy's gonna to make a little coffee, too. Mammy's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin', Mammy's little baby loves shortnin' bread."

King Stephen Overture is a favorite of mine. It sounds like Beethoven started it in a dark mood, took some happy pills after a few bars, and decided he wanted to party.

In my adult life I’ve never actually listened to Ruins of Athens, Consecration of the House or Nameday… I must’ve as a kid cuz the Phillips twofer with the Gewandhaus and Masur was one of my first discs. Anyway, I just listened with score, so thanks for this! Seems like the Turkish March from Ruins could be a mini-masterpiece.

I wish I had the time to listen to all my Beethoven overtures and provide a list. I have three collections that have always stood out: Masur/Gewandhaus Leipzig (Philips), Karajan/Berlin (DG Galleria), and Levi/Atlanta (Telarc). The Telarc recording is not complete, but the performances are great. It’s one of my favorite Atlanta/Telarc discs.

Dave. I am running through all of your Beethoven videos again (just finished Dvorak). Please please do an overtures BEST video. I love all of them.

The Beethoven overtures are just as good music as his symphonies, in my opinion, and they should get treated like so. My list isn't necessarily my favourite performance of each work, but it doesn't have any weak links and only one duplication (Berlin Philharmonic twice) Leonore No. 3: Markevitch, Lamoureux Orchestra on DG. A sentimental favourite, but nonetheless a muscular and musical performance. The off-stage trumpet are particularly well played, as is the coda. Zur Namensfeier: Scherchen, Vienna State Opera Orchestra on DG. Very lively "tarantella". Is played like it was the best music in the world. Who does not want to hear Scherchen go nuts? König Stephan: Bernstein, NYP on Sony. Also a sentimental favourite in spite of the a bit weird sonorities. Very lively and well played. The slow sections are still exciting and not-boring. Coriolan: Klemperer, Philharmonia on Warner. Dark, broody, grim. Klemperer specialities. Slow, as you would expect, but it works very well. Beautiful and dramatic played. Egmont: Szell, Cleveland on Sony. Enough said. Weihes des Hauses: Jochum, Concertgebouw on Decca Eloquence. Just beautiful for all the reasons you explane in your video on Jochums orchestral recordings on Philips. You actually hear the bassoons! Geschöpfe des Prometheus: Karajan II, Berlin Phil on DG. Vintage Karajan/Berlin sound we all know and love. Beautiful introduction. You will never hear more beautiful runs in the strings in this work. Die Ruinen von Athen: Cluytens, Berlin Phil on Erato. Beautiful phrasing. Gets treated like the best work in the world. Very "gemütlich" in the quick passages, dramatic and beautiful in the slow. Nice to hear the Berlin Phil under somebody else than Karajan. Leonore No. 2: Walter, Columbia Symphony on Sony. Beautiful as only Walter can conduct it. Have the same qualities as his Mozart. Leonore No. 1: Munch, Boston on RCA. Gets treated like its the best work in the world. Boston and Munch plays the daylight out of it and it is fabulous. Fidelio: Bohm, Staatskapelle Dresden on DG. Also have the same qualities as his Mozart. Beautiful horn soli. Not terribly slow and very exciting. Beautiful phrasing. You can actually hear the timpani quite prominently. Thanks for good and constructive videos!

I've been searching in vain for a separate recording (apart from the complete opera) of Fricsay's Fidelio Overture. It's not in the first volume (orchestral works) of the Complete Recordings on DG. Of course the overture can be found as part of his complete opera recording in the second volume. I don't think there is a separate recording of the Fidelio Overture by Fricsay.

Egmont is my favorite. Yes! Skrowaczewski nails the Leonora #3. I must have that Vox set! Or do I need tried and true Markevitch?

Segerstam seems to do quite well with letting the bassoons' "scurrying" be heard, I think, in the Consecration of the House. I didn't notice obvious "dimming" of the trumpet fanfares, anyway. With the Turku Philharmonic on Naxos.

Oh goodness I don't have that extensive a selection of interpretations of the overtures so I wouldn't dare even to try to create a list. All I'd say is I've aways enjoyed Cluyten's way with the overtures included on his symphony cycle (his Egmont is terrifically exciting) and Jochum with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in a miscellaneous selection (including Prometheus, Coriolan, Leonore No 3) on RCA is well worth getting to know. Sorry that's all I can add!

New Crest with Fluorestan: guaranteed to help you fight cavities and sing on key! Furtwangler did a very nice Leonore No. 3 with Stockholm in 1948 which includes a nice rehearsal track, and you can hear him shaping the orchestra's approach as he goes along. Trivia item: the timpanist cuts out a bar too early at the very end. As a "cycle," I love Szell's four overtures to Fidelio/Leonore.

Prometheus: Mackerras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Typical of his best period-influence Beethoven recordings. Egmont: Fricsay, Berlin. A wonderful, dramatic reading, usually coupled to his fantastic Beethoven 9th. The Ruins of Athens: Beecham, Royal Phil. A champion of more obscure Beethoven works, Beecham makes the overture a fun curtain opener to his recording of the Athens incidental music. King Stephen: Bernstein, NYPO. Just a lively and joyful performance. Leonore No. 1: Klemperer (either of them for EMI). Infuses what some conductors treat as a lightweight work a perfect mix of nobility and ebullience. Fidelio: Skrowaczewski, Minnesota. That set is wonderful, and for me the Fidelio Overture a highlight. Coriolan: Jochum, LSO. Slower than Munch, but Jochum’s reading is still dramatic, balancing the violent opening with a flowing, tender second theme. Really exciting timpani playing throughout. Leonore No. 2: Blomstedt, Staatskappelle Dresden. Part of Blomstedt’s full recording of the original version of the opera. Great to hear this orchestra perform it. Leonore No. 3: Szell, Cleveland. The string playing in the finale is incomparable. As great a Leonore No. 3 as any out there. Nameday: Markevitch, Lamoureux. Sparkling and witty. Consecration of the House: Dorati, LSO. Part of his great Mercury Beethoven recordings. Vivid and exciting

Dear Dave: Could you make a short video explaining the differences (with musical examples, of possible) between the versions of the Fidelio/Leonore overtures? I think is very weird that Beethoven had so many doubts before coming up with his final version of those compositions. Greetings!

Thanks, Dave, for a great talk. Is that a new t-shirt? Haven't seen the label "Our ears don't lie!" before.

My all time fav is Heinz Rögner/RSOB, the worst I ever listened to was Karajan/BP.

Coriolan: Suitner (Denon); Prometheus: Ansermet (Decca); Egmont: Fricsay (DG); Fidelio: Karajan (DG); Leonore 1: Klemperer (EMI); Leonore 2: Furtwangler (EMI); Leonore 3: Toscanini (RCA); Namensfeier: Dausgaard (Simax); Ruins: Monteux (RCA); Consecration: Munch (Auvidis Valois); King Stephan: Bernstein (CBS)…

love the new tag line on the shirt!...and NO they don't.

More than for any other composer [with the POSSIBLE exception of Schubert], I would love to be observing Beethoven's reactions to performances of his works, such as these choices here. Would he be thrilled? Would he be appalled? Would he laugh? Would he cry? Would he join in? Would he do all of these? We'll never know.

I'm sure the Nameday overture would have a higher profile if it had a different title. I totally agree, it's a magnificent piece. Zinman is the best performance i've heard but Scherchen takes off like a rocket in the tarantella. The orchestra can only just keep up. A wild alternative, and some really raucous brass playing at the end.

The Markevitch Beethoven overtures album is one of the glories of the gramophone.

Since you brought him/them up.....are there enough recordings of Skrowaczewski and Minnesota to make it worthwhile doing a talk on them (if you like them enough that is!)? In addition to the Beethoven recording you mentioned in this talk (which I was completely unaware of) all I know of for sure is Bartok and Ravel. I've always enjoyed those a great deal though. (I have a soft spot for Vox Boxes. They were an integral part of my musical education in university years. Sure, there were a lot of pretty crappy ones, but also some that were surprisingly good and others that were downright excellent, and in those days - late 1970s - they were cheap!). Anyway, if you felt like doing something on Skrowaczewski some time, here's one follower who would enjoy it. Many thanks for all the great videos you DO provide us with.

Can anyone recommend Beethoven's Ovetures by Jochum with the Bamberg Orchestra RCA!

Dave there are two Egmont cds by Szell, one on London with Tchaikovsky's 4th or the Decca complete Egmont music only. Which one would you recommend?

All enjoyable selections but if I can only have one Klemperer Overture selection it would be his Die Weihe des Hauses/Consecration of the House - either his 1956 or 1959 performance - both included in the 10 CD “Beethoven: The Orchestral Recordings” box set.

One of the Leonore Overtures has an off-stage trumpet solo? Very interesting and challenging for a trumpet player. My favourite Overture is the Egmont Overture with a Triumphant ending !!!Thanks, David for your always informative reviews. I wait at 7pm here in Australia for your reviews . Regards, Richard ( Timpanist )

Taking up the challenge, here is my list. None of your fine choices repeated and only one conductor per overture. This was fun. Beethoven Overtures Prometheus Chailly/Leipzig Gewandhaus Decca Ruins of Athens Beecham/RPO EMI (stereo) with the best Ruinen excerpts King Stephen Monteux/LSO (RCA/Decca) Egmont Leibowitz/RPO 1962 Coriolan Reiner RCA 1959 Namensfeier Karajan was the first and best I’ve heard but I need to choose a different one so Zinman, Zurich Tonhalle Weihe des Hauses Michael Gielen, SWF-Sinfonieorchester 1986 but alternately Bernstein And the NYP, both near-ideal and ideally paced and proportioned performances Fidelio Karl Böhm Staatskapelle Dreden, DG from one of the best sets of the entire 1814 opera Leonore 1 Szell/Cleveland Col. He brings this hard to convince piece off like almost no one else has, though my personal favorite is Toscanini’s BBC recording or, 1951 NBC in better sound Leonore No. 3 Furtwängler and the BPO April, 1954 EMI Cosmic. Leonore No. 2 Walter/Columbia Symphony 1961. late Walter in magisterial form. Great sound. My favorite Beethoven overture. I also love Furtwängler /BPO and Toscanini’s 1954 broadcast. Anybody who will take this with the stride and breadth and power it needs. A conductor has to have the courage to hold those loooong silences between chords in the introduction at their full length and even a bit beyond at the prescribed Adagio tempo without flinching every bit as much as if he were conducting the end of the Sibelius 5th. If he can’t do that, or speeds up the adagio from the start to get over them, you need to listen elsewhere.

I’m late to the party, but isn’t Beethoven 3 scored for three horns? At least in the scherzo I’m pretty sure it is. Great talk though Dave, as always! Cheers!

Doesn’t the Eroica also use three horns instead of two? (5:15)

How dare you exclude Wellington's Victory

Here is my list without repeating any of your selections and without repetitions, in other words 11 different orchestras, and - with one exception (Jochum) - different conductors: Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus: Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire/Cluytens (1951, Erato) Egmont: Czech Philarmonic Orchestra/Kletzki (1964, Supraphon) (due to the rule, I cannot select Fricsay/BPO) Die Ruinen von Athen: Sinfonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Jochum (1959, DG) King Stephen: The Cleveland Orchestra/Szell (1966, Sony) Leonore I: Concertgebouworkest/Jochum (1969, Philips) Fidelio: Berliner Philarmoniker/Karajan (1966, DG) Coriolan: London Symphony Orchestra/Stokowski (1974/RCA) (I select it, because of his conducting at that incredible age, otherwise my preference is Furtwängler/BPO from 1943, because of the unique blows at the start and the exciting finale) Leonore II: Bayerisches Staatsorchester/Sawallisch (1980, Orfeo) Leonore III: Wiener Philarmoniker/Furtwängler (1944, Orfeo): fantastic dramatism! Zur Namensfeier: Lamoreaux Orchestra/Markevitch (1958, Theorema) Die Weihe des Hauses: Philarmonia Orchestra/Klemperer (1956, EMI)

Ronkonkoma.........lol

Okay here we go: Prometheus: Jochum/Bavarian Radio. The most exhuberant performance of the work I've heard. Coriolan: Klemperer. Dark, powerful, full of momentum, everything I want from a performance of Coriolan. Leonore No. 1: Harnoncourt. Has all the humour this piece needs with a nice rhythmic punch backing it all up. Leonore No. 2: Munch. For the drive and intense dramatic contrast he brings to the work. Leonore No. 3: Markevitch. No one matches the militaristic fervour of that performance, especially in the brass! Fidelio: Fricsay. Yes I know it's a duplicate but it's too good - full of high-spirits and comedy. Egmont: Szell/Vienna (Decca): Not a (exact) duplicate! Chosen for all the same reasons. (though you could switch Fricsay and Szell in this list and still have a good list). Ruins of Athens: Chailly. Brought some well-needed energy to this piece. King Stephen: Bernstein/New York. The most energetic, exciting performance I've heard, his Vienna recording doesn't have the same energy. Nameday: Karajan. For the reasons given for his Ruins of Athens. Consecration of the House: Dorati. Full of momentum and relentless forward drive, especially in that central fugue. You can even get a sense of the performance's power with Dorati's grunt 8 minutes in!

Sorry, I don't like Szell's Egmont Overture in his otherwise fantastic Decca complete Egmont music disc. Too stiff and even inhibited. Cleveland is much better. But my A+ pick would be Leibowitz/RPO. My favorite Beethoven Overture hands down is Leonore 2. Love most of your choices but why turn K. Stephan into something portentously heavy Beethoven never really meant? So my choice is Monteux/LSO.