Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Charlotte Margiono, Birgit Remmert, Ridolf Schasching, Robert Holl, Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Number of Discs: 5
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Teldec
Catalogue: 0927497682
Release: 2003
Size: 1.42 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
01. I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
02. II. Andante cantabile con moto
03. III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace
04. IV. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace
Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
05. I. Allegro con brio
06. II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
07. III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
08. IV. Finale. Allegro molto
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”
09. I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande. Allegro ma non troppo
10. II. Scene am Bach. Andante molto moto
11. III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute. Allegro
12. IV. Gewitter. Sturm. Allegro –
13. V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. Allegretto
Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93
14. I. Allegro vivace e con brio
15. II. Allegretto scherzando
16. III. Tempo di menuetto
17. IV. Allegro vivace
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36
18. I. Adagio – Allegro con brio
19. II. Larghetto
20. III. Scherzo. Allegro
21. IV. Allegro molto
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
22. I. Allegro con brio
23. II. Andante con moto
24. III. Allegro –
25. IV. Allegro – Presto
Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60
26. I. Adagio – Allegro vivace
27. II. Adagio
28. III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace
29. IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
30. I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace
31. II. Allegretto
32. III. Presto – Assai meno presto
33. IV. Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral”
34. I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
35. II. Molto vivace – Presto
36. III. Adagio molto e cantabile – Andante moderato
37. IV. Presto – “O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!” (Ode to Joy)
Brimful of intrepid character and interpretative incident, this is surely one of the most stimulating Beethoven symphony cycles of recent times. As Harnoncourt himself states in the booklet: ‘It has always been my conviction that music is not there to soothe people’s nerves…but rather to open their eyes, to give them a good shaking, even to frighten them.’ So it transpires that there’s a re-creative daring about Harnoncourt’s conducting – in essence an embracement of recent scholarly developments and his own pungent sense of characterisation – which is consistently illuminating, thus leaving the listener with the uncanny sensation that he or she is encountering this great music for the first time. In all this Harnoncourt is backed to the hilt by some superbly responsive, miraculously assured playing from the COE: their personable, unforced assimilation of his specific demands, allied to his intimate knowledge of the inner workings of these scores, make for wonderfully fresh, punchy results. In this respect Nos 6-8 in particular prove immensely rewarding, but the Eroica and the Fourth, too, are little short of superb. This is a cycle which excitingly reaffirms the lifeenhancing mastery of Beethoven’s vision for many years to come.