David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich - Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 (1998)

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David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich - Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 (1998)

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Beethoven's Seventh Symphony was first performed in December 1812, in Vienna, and was an immediate hit. The second movement "allegretto" was applauded so loudly that it had to be repeated on the spot. The symphony was later dubbed "Apotheosis of the Dance" by Richard Wagner, in recognition of the strong rhythmic character of all four movements. The allegretto itself is one of Beethoven's, and music's, most inspired moments and has an otherworldly quality that has rarely been equaled before or since. The other three movements are noted for their liveliness and driving force.
David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich provide plenty of driving force in their recording of the Seventh on this CD. Zinman uses the Barenreiter "urtext" editions of Beethoven's scores in this and his other recordings of the Beethoven symphonies. The differences from the familiar Breitkopf edition are mostly minor, the most notable being an oboe solo near the beginning of the first movement's recapitulation (similar to one in Beethoven's Fifth) and an altered melodic line in the allegretto's B theme when it briefly reappears near the end of the movement. Zinman also is guided by the metronome markings that Beethoven presumably provided for each movement, which tend to be faster tempos than most conductors use. It's worth noting that Beethoven, if he did put the metronome speeds on the score, would not have done so until 1817, when he first obtained a metronome, or later. As he was quite deaf by then, he may have had trouble doing this. As a result, the metronome markings should be used cautiously.
There are many performances of the Seventh available on CD, but I think the best is an old one of Toscanini conducting the New York Philharmonic in 1939. It has been re-issued as a Smithsonian Great American Recording with remastered sound which is surprisingly good (See my review of this CD). Toscanini and Zinman are similar in that they both take relatively quick tempos; in each case the second movement is a true allegretto rather than the andante of many conductors. (Beethoven originally marked this movement "andante" but later changed it to "allegretto," perhaps to emphasize the pulsating rhythm that pervades the movement.) But Toscanini's performance is more supple, with some allowance for tempo variation, whereas Zinman's is rather –- dare I say it? –- metronomic. There's nothing really wrong with the performance, but it lacks a feeling of spontaneity.
Beethoven's Eighth Symphony was composed in 1812 and first performed in February 1813 in a concert that also included the Seventh, which again received accolades while the Eighth was pretty much ignored, irritating Beethoven immensely. Although the Eighth has never achieved the popularity of the Seventh, musically it has much to offer. The third movement is a minuet instead of a scherzo, and the finale has a unique musical structure: ABXA'B'YA"B"-coda, where A and B are the two principal themes, and X and Y are differing development sections. Some musical analysts call everything from Y-on the "coda," but that makes the "coda" almost as long as the rest of the movement and to have its own coda, which seems absurd.
Following the metronome indications, Zinman really shifts into high gear in this shortest of Beethoven's symphonies. The last movement, marked "allegro vivace," is played "presto," and Zinman and the Tonhalle rush pell-mell through the movement. The other movements are not quite so rushed. I didn't notice any obvious passages where the Barenreiter edition differs from the usual version. Zinman's performance is not only fast, but seems somewhat perfunctory as well, though it has plenty of energy.
The sound quality of this CD, recorded in 1997, is excellent and up to current standards. I did find the need to boost the bass slightly. The liner notes that come with the CD discuss the Barenreiter editions of Beethoven and how they differ from the standard Breitkopf editions. There is also a biographical sketch of conductor Zinman.

–Mary Ann Bergman

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David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich - Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 (1998)

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