Six discs for a Beethoven symphony cycle seems about the norm these days. What makes the Chandos set unusual is that the mighty nine are actually accommodated on five CDs, the sixth being taken up by two overtures (the same as in the Hickox/ASV set reviewed above), two sizeable samples of Weller in rehearsal and Barry Cooper's realization of the sketches for the first movement of the Tenth.
It could be argued that it was noble of Chandos to put aside thoughts of commercial advantages and give us these interesting extras. I'm not sure though that they're going to make the set that much more attractive. The rehearsal recordings are worth playing through once, and once only no Beechamesque wit or Karajanic devilry here, just very thorough musicianship. That Weller is so thorough is comforting to learn—allocation of rehearsal time for Beethoven symphonies can be pretty parsimonious these days—though I think one could have guessed as much from the performances. The CBSO not only make a superb sound (admirably caught by the Chandos recording), they play with an attentiveness and feeling for ensemble which is truly gratifying. In good traditional manner, Weller doubles his woodwind, and in places it's quite obvious that two instruments are playing what would normally be a solo line, but the togetherness in phrasing is remarkable.
Actually Weller's phrasing is generally impressive, not so much for its expressiveness (I don't on the whole find these very expressive readings) but for its control. The central fugato in the Eroica's great Marcia funebre is superbly shaped and shaded, rising to sonorous fortissimos. But these are emotionally neutral terms, largely I'm afraid because that's the way the playing often strikes me. Climaxes are well placed, and approaches to them are graded with expert assurance, but there's something almost mechanical—a feeling of ''wheels upon wheels in motion'', as a critic once remarked about the prose-style of Dr Johnson.
Having singled out the Eroica for criticism—or rather part of it—I have to say that this strikes me as one of the better performances. The tempo in the first movement is fairly stately, but there's plenty of energy, and the scherzo and finale do have strong momentum. The Seventh Symphony also has fine moments—the woodwind playing in the major-key sections in the Allegretto eclipses even the excellent Haitink on Philips (Hickox is rather disappointing here), and in the quiet central fugato (strange how contrapuntal passages continually stand out) the playing has extraordinary delicacy and concentration—in fact if I were to say what I remember best about Weller's Beethoven it would be his pianissimos. Time after time he shows how a diminution of volume can lead to a marked increase in tension—the hushed E flat major section in the Adagio of the Ninth (bars 83–98) is a fine example, and there are similar magical moments in the Andante of No. 5. Weller's Pastoral too has its high points, but as so often elsewhere, it's the quality of the sound, rather than any expressive message, that one remembers: the low string triplets of ''Scene by the Brook'' glide beautifully, and there are some lovely clarinet and bassoon exchanges at bars 79–82, but even the high-gloss Muti in his recent set (EMI, 1/89) seemed to me to say more about the work's spiritual programme.
This feeling that something fundamental is missing returns again and again as one moves on through the set, especially on comparing it with Haitink and Hickox. Haitink has more drive and more tenderness, and there's a chamber-music-like intimacy and wit which so often evades the suave Weller—compare them in the finale of No. 1 and you'll see what I mean; or better still try any movement of the Eighth: the Allegretto scherzando is indeed a thing of beauty, but it scarcely raises so much as a smile. Hickox too produces moments in which clock-time almost becomes an irrelevance—I'm thinking of the glorious lead-back in the Adagio of No. 4, though there are plenty of other instances. And where Hickox really scores over Weller is in the choral apotheosis of the Ninth, despite some fine solo singing in the latter. I muss here the sense of elemental growth that Hickox brings to this movement—and Weller's ''Seid umschlungen, Millionen!'' is a pretty sedate affair after the massive yet mobile Hickox. In the orchestral movements though Weller is more convincing: despite the large forces, the CBSO playing is surprisingly agile—and in the Adagio, Weller's shapely phrasing holds the attention from the first, unlike Hickox, who sounds a little bland in the initial stages. Yet even here the impression isn't so much of organic growth, more the smooth running of intricate machinery.
There's something else about this set that disappoints me—though judging from recent correspondence in Gramophone there may be readers who consider this an advantage: Weller is stingy with repeats. The Eroica's first movement exposition is duly heard twice (for which relief much thanks) but in general it's only in scherzos that they're observed—and by no means always there: the Ninth has none, and in the Presto of No. 7 Weller ignores the second repeat, thereby erasing a magnificent dramatic stroke. The Scherzo of the Seventh is a let-down in other ways: the Presto sections are nowhere near as vital as Haitink or Hickox, and at the beginning of the Trio, the second bassoon's bass-line is almost inaudible, giving a curiously weightless effect—a disappointment after compelling first and second movements.
As for ''No 10'', the choice is between Weller and Morris (Pickwick PCD9 11, 1/89). Morris is more passionate, though it's hard to suppress the feeling that he's pleading a lost cause. Weller shows how it all fits together, and again the orchestral playing is beautiful—and there's another of those superb Weller pianissimos just before the recapitulation. I found myself just a little mote concerned about where the music was heading in this version.
Overall though I don't feel that this set is a strong challenge to either Haitink or Hickox. It's more consistent than the Muti, and far less heavy-going than the most recent Karajan (DG, 6/86) but Haitink is a much better bet as a whole, and I'd still urge that you try Hickox in Nos. 4, 5 and 9, despite my misgivings about the odd detail here and there. The CBSO Weller approach is meticulous and often very beautiful, but it too often seems short on nature's fire—more craft than Kraft I'm afraid.'