No one could accuse Neville Marriner of excessive haste in recording a Beethoven symphony series with the ASMF. His stylish coupling of Nos. 1 and 2 (6527 074) appeared in October 1971, his account of No. 4 coupled with the Grosse Fuge five years later (9500 033, 4/76), though that elebant reading disappeared from the catalogue rather quickly, not helped in its initial issue by appearing simultaneously with a rival version from Sir Colin Davis on the same label (9500 032, 4/76—nla).
Those symphonies seem a natural part of the ASMF repertory, but the Eroica prima facie is a different matter. It is true that the Collegium Aureum version using original instruments (Harmonia Mundi 1C 065 99629, 11/78) presents a band no bigger than this, but where Marriner and the ASMF shine above all for their refinement and elegance of pointing, one might look in vain for an essential ruggedness in this symphony which in scale and argument leapt so far ahead of its time. The fascinating things is that Marriner's reading does indeed have a lightness, transparency and resilience of rhythm typical of the ASMF, but the result is strong and exhilarating, with very fast speeds in the first, third and fourth movements which have a shining clarity, hardly if ever sounding breathless.
The clear justification is that Marriner has used smaller forces of strings to give a refreshing new look to a much-played work. In the first movement the triple time has a dancing quality to it thanks to Marriner's rhythmic pointing with sharp, clean sforzandos; and though the great dissonance at the climax of the development is not so weighty as we expect it to be, it is illuminating to hear every note cleanly. Indeed there are many places where inner detail emerges with new clarity. The ''Funeral March'' gains least and loses most from the Marriner approach, but there too the result is refreshing, and though the speed for the finale initially seems absurdly fast, the fantasy behind Beethoven's working of the Prometheus theme comes out anew, culminating in a clearer contrast than usual when the Adagio enters. The one moment of pomposity in the whole performance is on the reprise of the Prometheus tune on the brass in that slow section, and in context that sets the seal on the whole performance. Playing is superb—no doubt these players generally have little chance to play this masterpiece and returned to is as though to an old friend—and I note specially the glorious oboe-playing. The recording is superb too, beautifully full and free with plenty of atmosphere but no masking of detail. I have listed no comparisons. Even in a very long list marriner's version is quite literally—for the reasons explained—incomparable.'