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You need to hear these…

Bill Dodd on October 10, 2024

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Welcome to ‘Dodd’s Discoveries’, a review series from NativeDSD Senior Music Reviewer Bill Dodd. This series focuses on Bill’s latest selections, with new reviews regularly. And the best part… the albums featured in the most current review will be available at a reduced price! Click the button below to see all of Dodd’s Discoveries and to find the current album(s) on sale.

View All Discoveries

There is no better example of why we do these “discoveries” than this recording of Beethoven’s 4th and 8th Symphonies with Bernard Haitink and the London Symphony Orchestra. Recently I saw an on line review from David Hurwitz that made me want to revisit this album.

I’m glad I did!

I don’t care how many recordings you may have, you need to hear these. Haitink’s tempos are lively, and there is a feeling of delightful involvement that I do not find on on most other recordings of these often overlooked symphonies.

I’ve often thought of Haitink as an Old Master, but I found his two previous Beethoven cycles not nearly as exciting or interesting as his final one, live with the LSO (available here individually, or as a bundle). This release with the Fourth and the Eighth simply blew me away with a fresh listen! It should be in every Beethoven fanatic’s library. It’s become my go-to for B4 and B8.

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Written by

Bill Dodd

Bill is Senior Music Reviewer at NativeDSD. He lives in the Portland, Oregon area. He is an avid photographer too! Along with his early interest in broadcasting and high fidelity audio, he was exposed to classical music in small doses from age 5, was given piano lessons from age 9— Starting with Bach and including Gershwin. Successful morning personality in San Francisco at age 22. (true). Sang in choirs in high school and college. Although the broadcasting experience was all in popular music, his personal listening has been mostly classical his whole life—along with others including Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Joni Mitchell, The Who, and Led Zeppelin.

Comments

  1. Not to disagree with Mr. Dodd’s assessment, I feel compelled to add that Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of the Beethoven Syms 4 and 8 are also quite stirring. The NSO’s complete set of Beethoven Syms are also quite well recorded, and sound quality with NativeDSD’s DSD512 offerings is superb! Ditto Honeck’s Beethoven recordings with the Pittsburgh SO which don’t yet include Syms 4 and 8.

    Comment by Bill S on October 11, 2024 at 08:36

  2. I totally agree, Bill, and I gave my heartiest recommendation for the entire Noseda set. My personal feeling is that there is no finer contemporary recording of the complete Beethoven Cycle than Noseda’s. If I could only have one complete set, I’d choose it. But just as Walter’s Pastoral, there are individual recordings that I love. I guess it’s the unexpected qualities of the Haitink that really grabbed me. Thanks for taking the time to pass along your thoughts!

    Comment by Bill Dodd on October 11, 2024 at 20:35

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