Review by brenda June 10, 2005 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
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I endorse all of Castor's comments. The Haydn performances are warm and affectionate in the "best" sixties style and the sound in both stereo and m/c is excellent. However, the Beethoven is a very old fashioned performance, in which Davis gives us a ready-made full-blown romantic composer. There is little sense of classicism, transition or experiment. Even the exhuberance feels ponderously middle aged. I miss the wit and sense of the new that Harnoncourt, Mackerras and others have brought to the first. Like Castor, I LOVE the Davis Beet 5th on Pentatone, but this 1st is a huge disappoinment. The sound is not, however, being warm, accurate and full with lovely soundstaging. So, I'll keep it for the two Haydn works and give the Beet. a miss. As I only paid £7.50 for it through mdt, I don't feel too shortchanged.
Five stars for the recording of both pieces, four-and-a-half for the Haydn performances but only a two-and-a-half for the Beethoven.
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