Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies

To commemorate the 110th birthday anniversary of “Emperor of the Stage” Herbert von Karajan, “Beethoven: Complete Symphonies” recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1975 to 1977 was re-released on May 23, 2018. Karajan completed the Beethoven symphony cycle six times in his lifetime. This work is the second complete cycle recording, with the Berlin Philharmonic performing at their peak. The latest DSD master produced in 2018 at Emil Berliner Studios in Germany from the original analog master of Deutsche Grammophon in Germany was used to prepare this 4-discs boxset.

The vast Beethoven cycle recorded by Otto Klemperer at the baton of the Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the most valuable testimonies of the conductor’s artistry. Apart from the nine symphonies (in their stereo version), this collection notably includes the four Leonore overtures and an orchestral transcription of the Great Fugue.

Herbert von Karajan was the most renowned conductor to emerge from Europe in the post-World War II era – and through fortuitous timing throughout his career, and in spite of controversy that dogged his early years, he was the most recorded conductor of the 20th century, and is likely to remain one of the most visible (and biggest-selling) conductors well into the 21st century. Born in Salzburg and descended from a family of Greek origin with deep roots in Austria – including scholars and physicians in Vienna and Salzburg – he was a music prodigy, playing the piano at three and playing his first recital a year later.

The culmination of five digital releases, the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conclude their journey through Beethoven’s complete symphonies, releasing the complete set.

The Kammerakademie Potsdam (Chamber Academy Potsdam) and its principal conductor Antonello Manacorda complete their Beethoven cycle with the release of all nine symphonies in a special boxset. As the third and final installment in the series, the release will include their new recording of Beethoven's third, fourth and eighth symphonies as well as the composer's legendary 'Ninth Symphony'.

Barenboim's Beethoven symphony cycle is the most emotionally complete, humane, and perfectly realized series of non-period instrument performances of this music to have appeared in decades. The best cycles of the past few years (Mackerras, Gielen, and Harnoncourt) have all belonged to the "authenticist" school to greater or lesser degree. Barenboim's achievement clearly demonstrates that a wonderful tradition is alive, vital, and still capable of renewal through intelligent understanding expressed in partnership with a like-minded orchestra, and above all, through supreme musicianship on the podium. His encounter with this music's generosity of spirit and deep passion will provoke, stimulate, challenge, and delight. - David Hurwitz

The German conductor Eugen Jochum recorded the complete Beethoven symphonies in stereo three times: First on DG in the Fifties with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Bavarian RSO; then in the Sixties on Philips in the set we have here with the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam; and finally in the Seventies on EMI with the London Symphony Orchestra. This LSO cycle may not have as much fire as Jochum's earlier Beethoven, but it has a fullness and richness of spirit unmatched in his younger efforts, better played and recorded than the previous ones.

Leonard Bernstein conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker for these legendary recordings from 1977-1979 of Ludwig van Beethoven's 9 Symphonies in this Limited Edition SACDs set. A set that in the realism of its engineering, in the poised polished execution of the Vienna Philharmonic, and in the controlled, tasteful vigor of Bernstein's conducting sets standards of Beethoven playing. Despite the age the pairing of Bernstein and the VPO was always quite special and the set has stood the test of time remarkably well, remaining an excellent choice for anybody looking for a Beethoven symphony cycle.

Karajan: Beethoven Symphonies (1963) is a set of studio recordings made in 1961 and 1962 by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan. It is the second of four cycles of Beethoven's nine symphonies that von Karajan conducted, and the first of three for the German record label Deutsche Grammophon. The complete set was first released in 1963 in Europe, and as a result the cycle of symphonies is now generally known as the 1963 cycle.