Sounds Magnificent (The Story of the Symphony) - Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (Excerpt) and No. 7 / Previn, RPO

Rating:
Summary: A music appreciation course on Beethoven's 7th with Previn
Review: I know enough about music from the classes I took in college to enjoy listening to somebody like conductor Andre Previn explain how Beethoven constructed his 7th Symphony. Yes, you would think that if you were going to devote this much time to one of Beethoven's symphonies it would be the 5th (of which we hear but a single movement) or the 3rd, 6th or 9th, but by the time Previn is finished working his way through the 7th, you will consider it one of the composer's masterworks as well. Actually, I had always liked the 7th anyway, so I did really have to be sold on this one. I sort of remember when Leonard Bernstein did his concerts for young people on television, and what Previn does is more like a college level musical appreciation course. Recorded in stereo hi-fi back in 1984 for the BBC, Previn conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in what I believe ended up being a total of six episodes, the others dealing with Brahms, Tchiakovsky, Haydn/Mozart, Berlioz and Shostakovich.

Rating:
Summary: A music appreciation course on Beethoven's 7th with Previn
Review: I know enough about music from the classes I took in college to enjoy listening to somebody like conductor Andre Previn explain how Beethoven constructed his 7th Symphony. Yes, you would think that if you were going to devote this much time to one of Beethoven's symphonies it would be the 5th (of which we hear but a single movement) or the 3rd, 6th or 9th, but by the time Previn is finished working his way through the 7th, you will consider it one of the composer's masterworks as well. Actually, I had always liked the 7th anyway, so I did really have to be sold on this one. I sort of remember when Leonard Bernstein did his concerts for young people on television, and what Previn does is more like a college level musical appreciation course. Recorded in stereo hi-fi back in 1984 for the BBC, Previn conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in what I believe ended up being a total of six episodes, the others dealing with Brahms, Tchiakovsky, Haydn/Mozart, Berlioz and Shostakovich.

Rating:
Summary: BE FOREWARNED : MISDEMEANOR
Review: The disk is very good, but were I younger would be furious that despite the presentation of the title it does NOT contain Beethoven's Fifth. One movement only of the Fifth. Go figure.

Rating:
Summary: BE FOREWARNED : MISDEMEANOR
Review: The disk is very good, but were I younger would be furious that despite the presentation of the title it does NOT contain Beethoven's Fifth. One movement only of the Fifth. Go figure.