Ineluctably and inevitably, one longs to love any and every performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. How could one not? After all, the Ninth is not only the greatest symphony ever composed, not only one of the greatest works in the history of art, but one of the indisputable proofs that humanity is indeed capable of transcendence. But as much as one longs to love
Carlo Maria Giulini's 1972 recording of the Ninth with the
London Symphony Orchestra, one can at best work up only a very damp enthusiasm for it and more because of the innate greatness of the music rather than any merit of the performance.
Giulini's tempos are too torpid for the music to surge. His textures are too turgid for the music to sound. His interpretations are too tedious for the music to soar. The
London Symphony Orchestra's playing is surprisingly slovenly. The London Symphony Orchestra Chorus' singing is otiose and orotund. The solo singers are mostly English mediocrities. And
Giulini's Symphonies No. 6 and No. 8 are merely more of the same, but without singers. EMI's sound is overly opulent and underly detailed. Much as one longs to love any and every performance of the Ninth, this recording makes it almost but not quite impossible.