LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)

The Complete Symphonies

Live from The Edinburgh Festival 2006

 

CD 1 [59'28]

Symphony No 1 in C major Op 21 [26'12] 1 Adagio molto – Allegro con brio [8'44]

2 Andante cantabile con moto [7'38] 3 Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace [4'02] 4 Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace [5'45]

Symphony No 2 in D major Op 36 [33'16]

5 Adagio molto – Allegro con brio [12'11] 6 Larghetto [10'05] 7 Scherzo: Allegro [4'47] 8 Allegro molto [6'12]

 

CD 2 [78'40]

Symphony No 3 in E flat major ‘Eroica’ Op 55 [47'04] 1 Allegro con brio [16'40]

2 Marcia funebre: Adagio assai [14'01] 3 Scherzo: Allegro vivace [5'22] 4 Finale: Allegro molto – Poco andante – Presto [10'58]

Symphony No 4 in B flat major Op 60 [31'36]

5 Adagio – Allegro vivace [11'03] 6 Adagio [8'18] 7 Menuetto: Allegro vivace [5'25] 8 Allegro ma non troppo [6'47]

 

CD 3 [71'33]

Symphony No 5 in C minor Op 67 [31'28]

1 Allegro con brio [7'04] 2 Andante con moto [8'44] 3 Scherzo: Allegro [4'55] 4 Allegro – Presto [10'42]

Symphony No 6 in F major ‘Pastoral’ Op 68 [40'05]

5 Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande Allegro ma non troppo [11'31]

6 Szene am Bach Andante molto mosso [11'31] 7 Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute Allegro [4'56]

8 Donner. Sturm Allegro [3'25] 9 Hirtengesang. Frohe, dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm Allegretto [8'39]

 

CD 4 [64'40]

Symphony No 7 in A major Op 92 [38'20]

1 Poco sostenuto – Vivace [13'19] 2 Allegretto [8'03] 3 Presto – Assai meno presto [8'08] 4 Allegro con brio [8'47]

Symphony No 8 in F major Op 93 [26'20]

5 Allegro vivace e con brio [8'58] 6 Allegretto scherzando [4'05] 7 Tempo di menuetto [5'59] 8 Allegro vivace [7'16]

 

CD 5 [61'34]

Symphony No 9 in D minor ‘Choral’ Op 125 [61'34]

1 Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso [14'14] 2 Molto vivace [13'18] 3 Adagio molto e cantabile [12'41] 4 Presto – Allegro assai [21'17]

JANICE WATSON soprano, CATHERINE WYN-ROGERS mezzo-soprano, STUART SKELTON tenor, DETLEF ROTH bass

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL CHORUS (David Jones chorusmaster)

 

Total Duration: 5 hours 36 minutes

 

Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras

Symphonies 1–8

 

Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Charles Mackerras

Symphony 9

 

‘A decisive interpretation, reinforced by a near-flawless and totally committed performance, and driven by an energy and vitality that conductors half the age of the venerable octogenarian Mackerras could only dream of emulating. The confidence and challenge intrinsic to the great symphony bounded off the page, flowed through conductor and orchestra and filled the auditorium, whose near-capacity audience was gripped. That grip remained fast for the duration: through the pulsing virility of the first movement and an amazing account of the second where Sir Charles and the SCO at once maintained a swift momentum while creating an illusion of unhurried expansiveness, crept through a stealthily-introduced scherzo and, in a wonderfully controlled flow of tension and release, exploded into a finale whose effect was as cathartic as it was climactic. This Beethoven Five was a seamlessly integrated interpretation and performance which refreshed the best known of all symphonies. That’s why it was special. This performance was suffused with the shock of the new’ (Glasgow Herald)

 

Hyperion 5cds CDS44301-5