"Whose" Beethoven do you like?

I think you have left out the best- Erich Kleiber"s Fifth with the Concertbegeow which Linn reissued on LP awhile back is phenomenal, Furtwangler's Third on Urania LP remains unsurpassed and Solti's Fifth on Decca LP is spectacular.

Forget the usual suspects. I've heard them all. My favorite Beethoven Symphonies are the City of Birmingham Orchestra, conducted by Walter Weller. Released on Chandos label. CD set also includes a performance of the partially finished 10th symphony. I have heard better individual symphony performances of course, but overall this is an excellent set of performances from a musical performance standpoint. Never tire of listening to this set. Does not blow you away like some, but I find those "blow you away" performances do not stay with me. (I am exhausted after listening to them.)

To supplement your complete CD set purchases, besides DG/Kleiber 5&7, do not hesitate to get Sony/Walter 4&6 mid price with SBM remastering, 6th is a legendary performance and recording is excellent as are many of the SBM remasters. Also the remastered EMI/Klemperer stereo 3rd from 1961 should be in any collection, even though many may not embrace Klemperer's style, this is legendary performance, Sam

PS: Read the review of the Birmingham/Weller/Chandos recording that is posted on Amazon.com (not David Hurwitz). I could not have put it better than this reviewer did.

I love the Gardiner set. It is the most transparent because it is on period instruments and the performances are excellent, highly recommended. The Norrington is OK not as good to my ears. No one mentions Bernstein. Shortly before his death he performed the 7th at Tanglewood. That is a superb performance.