Solti's is an epic view of the Eroica Symphony somewhat after the manner of Klemperer (EMI). At Solti's steady-treading tempo, the first movement moves remorselessly forward, running, complete with exposition repeat, for very nearly 20 minutes. Throughout, rhythmic and textural detailing is admirably trenchant. The mid-1970s recording is exceptionally clear and full-bodied in these digital remasterings; it serves the performance well.
Some may think the performance a shade marmoreal; and Solti's reading would, indeed, be pretentious were the coda of the first movement played as the spurious victory symphony it is often made to be. But Solti's reading is all of a piece, with the trumpets withheld at bar 658 and the subsequent ff lurch to the dominant tellingly, almost grimly, enacted. The Funeral March, spaciously, grandly enunciated, continues on naturally from this. After the Funeral March, the sun comes out and we are back with Solti the urgent-minded enthusiast. The Chicago strings are lean and fiery here, the horns excellent in the Trio. I am not sure why Solti makes a large ritardando towards the fermata at bar 11 of the finale; it is out of character with the performance, which is notable for stating its premises and sticking to them.
The list of distinguished accounts of the Eroica on CD gets longer by the month. Pre-1970, we have celebrated recordings by Furtwangler (EMI), Erich Kleiber (Decca), Klemperer, Toscanini (RCA) and Walter (CBS). Latterly, we have had serviceable performances on CD from Karajan (DG), Wand (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi), and Abbado (DG). The Solti CD is more generously filled than any apart from Toscanini's (which adds the First Symphony). Solti's account of the terrific Egmont Overture is workmanlike rather than revelatory (for revelation we have to go back to Furtwangler's live mono LP recording of 1947) but it shares with the Eroica performance an all-encompassing steadiness of pulse and general trenchancy of detailing. Coriolan is rather less well conducted and recorded.'