Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD

At this point in time, I find that Baroque and earlier music sounds better to my ear and simply more "right" when played on period instruments and with the prevailing scholastic ideas applied. Classic era music I like either way. By around Beethoven and beyond I prefer modern instruments.

Tempo is an area requiring pretty deep discussion. But I guess we have the time or we wouldn't be here!

I tend to believe that tempo markings are primarily dependent upon the overall aesthetic of the work. Back in the day of course, conductors had to speed up tempos in order to fit works onto a recording. This was a serious handicap with cylinders and 78's. Brahms is well known for writing in tempos like, 'fast but not too fast and certainly not slow'. What it comes down to I think is that neither Beethoven nor Brahms would expect tempos to be exactly the same between any one performance. Composers throughout time have understood personal interpretations of their scores as being part of the artistic process. I'd even be as bold as to say that there was more freedom given with respect to interpretation during these afore mentioned composers lifetimes than there is today. At the top of my head I am thinking of the Percy Granger Grieg Piano Concerto on 2L (a very interesting approach to using a piano roll).

Learsfool, thanks for bringing your very extensive knowledge and expertise to this thread. If you get a chance, do try to listen to Toscanini's 1940 Brahms 1st recording, via the link I provided above.

Returning to Beethoven, I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned the 1958 Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony "Pastorale."

I have it on LP, on an imported Japanese CBS/Sony remaster, I believe from the 1980s, which has very respectable if not great sonics. It appears to be readily available these days on various CDs, although I have no idea what their sonic quality may be.

It is considered by many to be the definitive interpretation of this beautiful work.

Best regards,
-- Al

"Beethoven's metronome was indeed just fine, and he really did intend for the tempos to be that quick."

I would agree and being a student of Haydn, Beethoven's early symphonies would probably be at a similar quick tempo.

Lowrider, I'm not so sure that Haydn had that much of an influence on Beethoven. His study with Haydn was financed by a benefactor. From my understanding this arrangement mostly served to set Beethoven up in Vienna from Beethoven's point of view.

Indirectly, I suspect Bach had more influence on Beethoven than Haydn did.
I am sympathetic to the argument that a great deal of flexibility in tempi was expected. Otherwise, how does one explain Brahms' bizarre attempts at explaining what he wanted in Italian. Mahler I think took a better course and used his native German. I understand his scores leave little doubt regarding his intentions.