Beethoven: Symphony No. 7.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7. Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. JVC JMCXR-0006.

I hadn't heard this performance in so long I'd forgotten it even existed. But when I heard it again in this JVC audiophile remaster, it all came back. How could I have forgotten it? I don't think it's ever been out of print on vinyl or silver disc since it was recorded all the way back in 1955. Maybe it's one of those things so close at hand, we lose sight of it.

In any case, the performance is outstanding in almost every way. It embraces passion, white-hot fury, forward impulse, and excitement in equal measure, perhaps only just missing out slightly in the ultimate lyricism of the dance. In this regard, I continue to prefer Colin Davis's first, EMI interpretation, but there is no denying Reiner's intensity. Nor can one argue with Reiner's sense of balance. His reading of the Seventh is a cross between the bold momentum and drive of his Beethoven Fifth and the exquisite symmetry and repose of his Sixth. The accompanying Fidelio Overture is likewise incisive and fiery.

Now, factor in JVC's superb remastering, and you have a disc that goes immediately to the head of the class. The sound, some of the earliest stereo available, is also some of the best in this repertoire and some of the best in the JVC XRCD lineup. It is solid, steady, clean, and focused, with all the elements in perfect harmony. The tonal proportions are musical and concordant, the bass is firm, the midrange clear, the highs shimmering but without fuzz or edge. There is no glassy ring to the sound, no hardness, no softness. It's just good music and good sonic reproduction. Play a few minutes of almost any new digital orchestral recording, and then play a few minutes of this one. I'm willing to bet you will find the early stereo superior in every way.

OK, so you can buy this music on RCA "Living Stereo" series for the half the cost of this JVC disc and get the Fifth Symphony and the Coriolan Overture thrown in, too. So what? You're in it for the music, right, not just a bargain-basement price tag. Or are you the kind of person who listens to his music from behind the magazine or newspaper you're reading, or from another room, for heaven's sake? This JVC improves upon the sound of RCA's disc, plain and simple. Is it twice as good? Of course not. But it's better. And to the dedicated audiophile, "better" may be worth the extra few bucks.