Advertisement

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY No. 7; “CORIOLAN” OVERTURE: “PROMETHEUS”...

Share

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY No. 7; “CORIOLAN” OVERTURE: “PROMETHEUS” OVERTURE. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andre Previn. RCA Victor 7748-2-RC (compact disc). For an uneccentric mainstream reading of the Seventh, Previn’s, predicated on solid balances, fleet tempos and a consistently forward pulse, should fill almost all requirements. The conductor generates considerable tension in the first movement development and lends almost Dionysian fervor and clean articulation to the exhilarating finale. Only the heart of the symphony, the second movement Allegretto, misses the necessary shaping. The “Coriolan” seems ordinary, while the “Prometheus” recaptures its terpsichorean roots. Excellent balances.

Advertisement