Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonien Nr.1-9 on 5 CDs

Product-Information:

‘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)

Rezensionen

'In Mackerras's experienced hands, the music palpably speaks of the dawn of Romanticism - as much in the flare of brass and grain of strings as in the supple 'spring' and energy he summons from it … The Ninth reveals what a superior musician Mackerras is, as he creates a joyous sense of ferment' (Financial Times)

'Hyperion's set is that early evening Beethoven cycle caught in recordings of remarkable intimacy and focus … It is a set I would happily put into the hands of any aspiring young music lover … Beethoven conducting and playing doesn't come much better than this' (Gramophone)

‘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)

'This recording manages to capture the sense of excitement and sometimes shock that these works must have engendered in their first audiences. That makes this a set to be treasured' (BBC Online)

Reviews