Dr. Klemperer endured many labels throughout his long career: "another Mahler," "supreme Mozartian," "the voice of Bruckner," etc. But the one applied so frequently that he came to feel as though he were walking about wearing sandwich-boards or a dog-collar proclaiming it to the world was "Beethoven conductor."

There is good reason for this assessment. As Beethoven's standard overshadowed the composers who followed, so Klemperer's interpretations serve as a standard of authentic Beethoven against which more modern recordings are judged. "They reveal him to be an interpreter greatly concerned with conveying the music's drama, symmetry, and (believe it or not) wit. ... these discs contain some of the best Beethoven playing to be found on (or off) recordings," states one reviewer, echoing the sentiments of many. Klemperer's recordings from the fifties with the Philharmonia are still the most highly recommended complete set of Beethoven symphonies (see note), and his recording of Beethoven's opera Fidelio has become nearly as much of a classic as the opera itself.

Reviews of Klemperer recordings of the individual Symphonies follow (minus reviews of Symphonies 4 & 8, which are still being researched). Please note that they are of previous releases of the works currently available in the EMI Klemperer Legacy series. They are not of the Klemperer Legacy series itself, which boasts the enhancements of Abbey Road Technology. Those reviews will be available in upcoming issues of American Record Guide.

Links to examples of on-line CD sources are included with each review. Please e-mail if your favorite source has been excluded. Please also e-mail if you have comments about any of the Klemperer recordings, even those not mentioned here, which you'd like to have included in the Web site.