Gaunt, architectural, lucid, imposing, there's something irreplacable about Klemperer's Beethoven at its best. Some of these performances lodge themselves in the memory ,Philharmonia playing is superlative
and sound has come up fresh. If the stereo 5 & 7 are ,admitedly , 'dead' ,the earlier mono ones have a surge,grip and vitality. Has this majestic 9th ever been surpassede?
Shostakovich remarked that Beethoven Third under Klemperer was the best he has ever heard
I do'nt seem to agree and find Klemperer interpretation a bit dry and lent
The importance of this collection is mostly by its historic value but the quality of recordings
is not in the upper level
My opinion is to try Karayan or Solti