Beethoven Symphony No. 9 - George Szell Cleveland Orchestra
George Szell’s 1963 CBS recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Cleveland Orchestra occupies a distinguished place in the work’s discography as a model of discipline, structural clarity, and orchestral precision. At a time when many conductors emphasized the symphony’s monumental rhetoric and emotional breadth, Szell approached the score as a rigorously constructed whole, convinced that Beethoven’s expressive power emerges most convincingly through fidelity to rhythm, balance, and proportion. By the early 1960s, the Cleveland Orchestra had been shaped under his leadership into an ensemble capable of realizing this ideal with remarkable consistency and authority.
The recorded sound, characteristic of early-1960s CBS productions, reinforces Szell’s aesthetic by prioritizing clarity, focus, and balance over sheer opulence. The orchestral image is direct and well-defined, highlighting ensemble precision and articulation and aligning closely with Szell’s interpretive priorities.
Artist(s): Conductor – George Szell
Orchestra – The Cleveland Orchestra
Chorus Master – Robert Shaw
Chorus – The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Bass Vocals – Donald Bell
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Jane Hobson
Soprano Vocals – Adele Addison
Tenor Vocals – Richard Lewis
Recording Info: Engineer - Bud Graham, Frank Bruno
Producer - Howard H. Scott
Recorded on April 21-22, 1961, in Cleveland.
Sourced from a 4-track tape
Components used for Transfer: Analog: Transport - Nagra 4SJ modified with Flux Heads
Preamp - Merrill Audio Master MX Tape Head Preamp
Digital: Merging Hapi Analog to Digital Converter clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Software: Merging Pyramix v15
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components with Shunyata Sigma-X Power Cords.
All components are grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
1 Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso 15:30
2 Molto Vivaco 11:21
3 Adagio Molto E Cantabile; Andante Moderato 15:18
4 Presto 6:09
5 Presto - Recitativo: O Freunde, Nicht Diese Töne! ("Ode To Joy") 17:46
6 Leonore Overture No. 3 13:50
Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master
then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using
Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
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