Beethoven: 9 Symphonies – Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe (5 CDs) WARNER CLASSICS

“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 life-enhancing mastery of Beethoven’s vision for many years to come.”

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.1 in C major Op.21
I Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
II Andante cantabile con moto
III Menuetto – Allegro molto e vivace
IV Finale – Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, ‘Eroica’
I. Allegro con brio
II. Marcia funebre – Adagio assai
III. Scherzo – Allegro vivace (Excerpt)
IV. Finale – Allegro molto

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F major Op.68, ‘Pastoral’
I Allegro, ma non troppo
II Andante molto mosso
III Allegro
IV Allegro
V Allegretto

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.8 in F major Op.93
I Allegro vivace e con brio
II Allegretto scherzando
III Tempo di Minuetto
IV Allegro vivace

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.2 in D major Op.36
I Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
II Larghetto
III Scherzo – Allegro
IV Allegro molto

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
I. Allegro con brio
II. Andante con moto
III Allegro
IV Allegro

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.4 in B flat major Op.60
I Adagio – Allegro vivace
II Adagio
III Allegro vivace
IV Allegro, ma non troppo

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A major Op.92
I Poco sostenuto – Vivace
II Allegretto
III Presto
IV Allegro con brio

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in D minor Op.125
I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
II Molto vivace
III Adagio molto e cantabile
IV Presto – Allegro assai – ‘Ode to Joy’