[SACD-R][OF] Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 - Royal Flemish Philharmonic - Philippe Herreweghe - 2008 (Classical)

Review by Mike D. Brownell:
Conductor Philippe Herreweghe returns to the helm of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic for another
set of Beethoven symphonies on the PentaTone label, this time the First and Third. Again presented
as a multi-channel SACD hybrid disc, PentaTone's sound is clean and detailed without too much
digital sterility. Unlike the album that included the Fifth Symphony and was fraught with many
rhythmic peculiarities, Herreweghe's reading of the First and Third symphonies seems diligently
respectful to every nuance of the score. His decision to assemble an orchestra of both modern and
period instruments (see liner notes for details) provides listeners with the intensity and projection of
modern string instruments coupled with the punchiness of Baroque timpani and the blaring qualities
of what Herreweghe refers to as "nature" trumpets. While this album proves to be a marked
improvement over the Fifth and Eighth symphonies in the areas of power and adherence to the score,
there's nothing truly new being said here. For listeners seeking their first introduction to these great
symphonies, this is certainly an appropriate choice; Herreweghe and the RFP will instill just as much
excitement in new listeners now as when the works were premiered. For collectors, however, this
album does not offer a sufficiently drastic look at these two symphonies to warrant adding yet another
CD to the shelf.