BEETHOVEN. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. * Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Carlos Kleiber. DG (D 415 862-2GH. From 2530 706 (9/76).

Selected CD comparison:

B PO, Karajan (6/85) 415 121 -2GH

Beethoven's Seventh suits Carlos Kleiber's daemonic spirit almost as well as the Fifth did (DG 415 861-2GH, 11/85) and he gets superb playing from the VPO with immense drive and verve, while at the same time being responsive to the lyrical parts of the first movement and the whole of the second, the Allegretto. At the end of this he follows his father's example in playing the last bars pizzicato instead of arco as printed in the scores. I seem to remember that this alteration caused considerable comment at the time and his father wrote a letter stating his reasons for making the change. Unfortunately I cannot now remember them but they seemed to me absolutely convincing—as they evidently also did to Klemperer who is the only other conductor I have heard play them in this way. I do remember, however, that Kleiber pêre made them a good deal more telling than they are on his son's record, for the latter sounds only half convinced. The Scherzo is given at a most exciting speed, while the finale finds Kleiber at his most telling.

There does, however, remain a 'but' about this CD. For all its quality the symphony, even with generous repeats observed and a decent gap between each movement, comes to barely 384 minutes, which is poor measure. Karajan (also on DG), a conductor who is not renowned for the length of his programmes, adds nothing less than Beethoven's Fourth, for which there is room on a CD. And if that makes you think twice about buying what is otherwise a very fine performance, you may think three times when you discover that Carlos Kleiber's version is now available on DG's Signature LP label which is mid-price! T.H.