Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD

Brownsfan... so that's where you've been. Lucky you.

http://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2013/04/thielemann-batiashvili-and-dresden-orchestra-serve-up-memorable-afternoon-of-brahms/

Lowrider, It was one of those experiences you don't forget. It was, for me at least, the Brahms 4 that stole the show. The violin concerto was very good. Not great. It was cool seeing the concerto played on the ex-Joachim Strad, which I presume was used at the first concert in Leipzig. I was sitting in the 4th row, main floor, right in front of the soloist. At the end of the 4th, during the applause, Christian looked me right in the eye and said Thank You (not danke). Then he turned to the audience and said, "you know what we are going to play." We got the Wagner as the encore. Superb! Makes me want to move to Dresden!.

"We got the Wagner as the encore."
He must really like Chicago.

(I sent u a PM).

Chicago really liked him, and boy was that snippet of Wagner a serious tease! I need to get up there more often for concerts. PM hasn't come through yet. Saturday night we heard the piano version of the Brahms violin concerto here in Indy, plus the Rite of Spring. Then up to Chicago for an all Brahms program. Last Wed I heard the Brentano Quartet here in town with 2 of the Beethoven quartets. Its been a week in Valhalla! This, my friends, is paradise regained!

After some deliberation and listening to snips, i decided to go for something different. I have Karajan '63 remastered, Furtwangler's war-time remastered versions from Tahra and Audite, and also Harnoncourt.

So went with Hogwood and the AAM. Deliberate, studious and period...looking forward to it.