You want to love this set. Sawallisch is a reliable, earnest, musicianly conductor of the “Kappelmeister” type, and of course the Concertgebouw remains one of the world’s great orchestras, curiously still in search of a great (as opposed to merely good) Beethoven cycle. Neither Jochum’s nor Haitink’s makes the top of many people’s lists, and neither does this one. The bottom line: Sawallisch simply lacks the juice to put across the “big” items on which any Beethoven cycle succeeds or fails: Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, 7, and 9. There’s plenty of fine playing, tempos are judiciously chosen, sectional balances are excellent, and in the woodwind-dominated sections of, say, the Second and Sixth symphonies, you won’t hear the music more beautifully done.
Still, the outer movements of the Fifth and the opening movements of the Third and Ninth need more fire and sheer rhythmic intensity than Sawallisch musters. The Seventh dances only fitfully, and the finale of the Ninth never really takes off vocally or instrumentally. At super-budget price, there’s value in the basic qualities of musicianship on display, but Brilliant Classics has one of the great Beethoven cycles in its catalog, hopefully not to be displaced by this “bigger name” production–namely, Blomstedt’s with the Staatskapelle Dresden. That cycle is played and conducted with more character and sheer gusto, especially in the Seventh, and it remains a reference edition at any price. So if you want the Concertgebouw’s (or Sawallisch’s) Beethoven no matter what, you can buy this and you’ll enjoy it. But it’s certainly not essential.
