Beethoven Overtures - Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Orchestra

Klemperer's Beethoven in improved sound

I enjoy Klemperer's muscular - but not ponderous - approach to these works, the most recent version in my collection being a1998 EMI Classics release of them sans the Fidelio but with the 8th symphony as a more generous bonus. Sonically I found the "bones" of the audio soundstages in both re-masterings to be similar but the HDTT version seemed to possess a greater dynamic range which in turn also allowed these recordings sound more realistic with respect to the interplay of orchestral instruments . In short I found HDTT's new remastering to offer noticeable but perhaps not dramatic improvements to the earlier version..

Great performances by a conductor legendary for his interpretations of Beethoven

Dynamics! Frequency extension! Sound qualities that my EMI LPs often seemed to lack are heard on this HDTT transfer from an EMI tape in abundance. This is not the polite sound of so many of the EMI LPs I acquired so many years ago This tape transfer is filled with dynamic, frequency extended, full orchestral sonics, even to the point of raucousness in some passages (oh, my!). So, to this extent I am quite excited about this release. Klemperer's performances resound with greater life than in most recordings I've heard. And yet, and yet..., I find myself disappointed in not getting similar improvement to the inner detail of the orchestra sound; it remains a bit more smudged and lacking in transparency than I'd hoped given my initial enthusiasm for the other improvements I hear. Is this a keeper? Oh, yes. You betcha. These are masterful performances of the Beethoven overtures by a great conductor whose Beethoven interpretations are legendary. I treasure them. And this transfer may be the best sound quality from these recordings that I can ever expect to hear. As a single collection of the overtures, this is undoubtedly the set to acquire, imo. Many thanks, HDTT, for making this available.