These recordings come
from the complete cycle of Beethoven
symphonies that Wand set down with the
NDR orchestra in the 1980s (and originally
issued on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, I
think.) Wand was chief conductor of
this orchestra between 1982 and 1991.
Collectors who have
investigated Wand’s recordings of Schubert,
Brahms and, of course, Bruckner will
know that he was an extremely reliable
guide to the central Austro-German symphonic
literature, in which he was steeped.
These performances demonstrate that
this expertise most certainly extended
to Beethoven.
The Eroica
is well suited to Wand’s style. He lays
out the music faithfully and without
fuss or show. His is a wholly musical
approach, full of wisdom. You won’t
get here the gaunt approach of Klemperer
nor are there necessarily the imaginative
vistas of Furtwängler but the results
that Wand obtains are very satisfying
and completely idiomatic.
The first movement,
complete with exposition repeat, is
presented at a sane, forward-moving
tempo that I like very much indeed.
There’s just the right amount of weight
but, even though this is ‘big band’
Beethoven, there’s no sluggishness nor
are the textures at all turgid. Wand
balances the orchestra well; the horns,
for example, are very well defined,
though without excess prominence. The
interpretation has the right amount
of dramatic thrust, I think, with accents
being used, as they should be, to propel
the argument on.
The funeral march is
dignified. If I say it’s dry-eyed I
don’t mean that the emotion in the music
is underplayed. But the emotion is properly
balanced and controlled. As was the
case in the first movement (and, indeed,
throughout the performance, tempi are
judicious.) Wand gives an energetic
reading of the finale. One slight reservation
that I had while listening was that
in this movement the woodwind could,
perhaps, have been balanced just a shade
more prominently when playing in the
full ensemble. This left the music without
quite the cutting edge that I like to
hear. However, I think this is of a
piece with Wand’s overall approach to
the music and I must stress that this
is a pretty minor reservation which
may not bother other listeners at all.
The Eighth Symphony
may not be on quite the same scale
as some of Beethoven’s other works in
the genre. However, it’s a work of considerable
stature and one that I like and admire
greatly. Wand’s reading satisfied me
very much. The first movement has a
good amount of brio. In Wand’s hands
the music is full of life and energy.
The metronomic scherzando movement has
a nice degree of lift and perkiness
and the minuet is also well done. The
finale has great purpose and zips along.
If I seem not to have a great deal to
say about this performance then that
should be taken as a compliment. This
is reading which is well played and
well thought through.
Overall, these are
very good, reliable and well balanced
readings. Wand has been well served
by both his players and the Engineers
and in turn Beethoven has been well
served by everyone concerned. There
are many fine versions of both symphonies
in the catalogue already but these can
more than hold their own. If the coupling
suits then collectors can invest with
confidence. Anyone buying this CD will
find that it offers great musical rewards.
John Quinn
NDR Sinfonieorchester/Günter Wand 
