Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD

Hi Loydelee,
Maybe we could give this subject a bit more latitude; USSR recordings including Eastern Block countries like Hungary, etc... The point being that Vienna and Budapest are next door neighbors, so one might conclude that a handful of Beethoven performances recorded from behind the 'Iron Curtain' would be of significance. My assumption is that despite Mylodia and their efforts from the 1950's forward, that many recordings are yet to be delivered to the public domain.
A while back, the Appian label released a series of recordings entitled 'The Russian Piano Tradition' and it would appear that this was an attempt to finally release unfamiliar Russian recordings to us here in the west. As one might imagine, it included Beethoven pieces from Maria Yudina but also from many other Russian pianists who are anything but household names. This series has been out of print now for a few or more years. What I'm driving at is that I believe we're just scratching the surface when it comes to Russian and Eastern European artists, including those who attended conservatories both in the US and in Western Europe.

Goofyfoot,

I think you are right. I really like Pletnev, Horowitz and the latest find is the conductor Tugan Sokhiev with the Toulouse National Orchestra. He studied in Eastern Europe...I have gotten nearly everything he has done with that orchestra...his Pictures at an Exhibition is extraordinary in my opinion, mny favorite interpretation, and i have several at home and i consider Pictures one of my fav orchestral pieces of all time.

Thanks Lloydelee for the recommendation. I got started on this when I was in Odessa, Ukraine and I went to a piano recital in the Philharmonie. The pianist was superb and he had studied abroad at the Juilliard School in the early 1960's. Of course he went back to Ukraine because he had secured a position, probably teaching. I'll keep looking around in this realm for Beethoven but for other composers also.
By the way, I have a recording of Szell conducting the Coriolan Overture in 1959 at the Prague Spring Festival with the Czech Phil. It's a very satisfying live performance.

Gardiner's cycle is poorly recorded....I think they tried to put too much on each disc.

Stringreen, I agree. Everytime I play the gardiners I think I've got a tube going bad. Its a shame, because based on artistic merit these recordings are real winners. And his Missa Solemnis, despite the bad recoridng quality, is really the only one I listen to much. Speaking of the Missa, anyone heard Herrewhegge's account on Harmonia Mundi?