Deutsche Grammophon has at long last begun to reissue Rafael Kubelik’s 1970’s Beethoven cycle. While all three of Herbert von Karajan’s increasingly processed and denatured DG Beethoven sets have been available on CD since the late 1980’s, this cycle, with its warmer, more fluid approach that celebrates the music’s humanity, languished in oblivion. In an unusual move, Kubelik recorded the nine symphonies with nine different orchestras — an approach which, judging from the present release, resulted in exceptionally fine music making. In Symphony No. 7, the Vienna Philharmonic lives up to its Beethoven reputation, providing full, rich string and brass sonorities and excellent rhythmic clarity. This is a very high-minded interpretation, and totally the opposite of Bernstein’s earthy, rough-hewn Vienna performance, also on DG. Kubelik’s Cleveland Eighth doesn’t have the same intensity as George Szell’s on Sony Classical, but the precision is still razor sharp and the playing is vibrant and colorful, especially in the finale. Kubelik chose “his” Bavarian Radio Symphony for the Ninth, and they play wonderfully for him. Like Gunter Wand’s on RCA, this is a big and (what is now considered) “old-fashioned” performance, with tempos that seem measured compared to the brisk, metronome-enslaved readings of the authenticists. Nonetheless, Kubelik heightens the drama with wide dynamic contrasts and sharply defined rhythms in the first two movements. The adagio flows from start to finish as if in one breath, and the return to the finale’s chaotic opening after some brilliantly played orchestral variations on the “joy” theme is capped by Thomas Stewart’s commanding entrance. He, as well as the other soloists and the Bavarian Radio Chorus, create a real sense of occasion with their lively singing. The sound on all three recordings is beautifully balanced with plenty of depth and clarity. This is first-rate Beethoven, and DG would do well to release the remainder of the cycle.
