Christoph von Dohnányi, The Cleveland Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (1989)

In his disciplined performances of Beethoven's symphonies, Christoph von Dohnányi consistently avoids the grandiosity of the traditionalists and the experiments of the historical revisionists. His Beethoven occupies a middle ground between extremist interpretations: powerful without being bellicose or cosmic, and meticulous without sounding dry or didactic. Nowhere is this balancing act more crucial than in the first two symphonies, which are too often seen in light of the composer's later achievements and treated somewhat confusedly as a result. The urbane Symphony No. 1 has little of the heroic in its nature and rather more of the sophistication and wit of Beethoven's mentor, Haydn. A spirit of humor dominates this performance, and Dohnányi brings this out through fine articulation of details and spry rhythms and without any of the pugnacity or rebelliousness that are frequently inflicted on this work. The Symphony No. 2 is a little closer to the dramatic Beethoven of the "Eroica," yet Dohnányi is careful to keep this symphony from sounding too far ahead of its time. While the thrust of the piece is decidedly dynamic and adventurous, Dohnányi holds its burgeoning Romanticism in check by emphasizing the work's Classical features, particularly in the Larghetto, which is almost Rococo in its elegance.