Philippe Herreweghe - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8 (2008) [SACD]

New recordings of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony are a hard sell. As one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the Western world, even amateur enthusiasts are able to detect subtle discrepancies between performances. This recording by the Royal Flemish Philharmonic under Philippe Herreweghe contains many such peculiarities. Herreweghe's interpretations focus heavily on the sonority of the orchestra. In this realm, few faults can be found. Although the RFP is not the most powerful or boisterous orchestra out there, its economy of sound is balanced with a clarity and lucidity that are not always to be found in other recordings. Unanswered questions arise in other areas. The oboe solo in the first movement, for example, is markedly different than any other recording in memory. Although a change of this nature seems to scream for an explanation, none is given. Fermatas in the opening are seemingly glossed over. Most rhythmically egregious, however, is the opening of the second movement, which is lazily performed as triplets rather than dotted eighth-sixteenths, as clearly indicated in the score. Also on this CD is the Eighth Symphony, which is curiously referred to in the liner notes as the "weakling" among the nine symphonies (when was the last time you heard the Fourth Symphony performed?). This performance, which seems to be more true to the score, truly shines with RFP's lighter, graceful sound. Overall, purchase this album for the Eighth and look elsewhere for the Fifth. -- Mike D. Brownell