Beethoven Manacorna

Originally planned for April 2020 in celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday, this recording of Beethoven's symphonies is the third composer-led collaboration between Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the COE having previously performed and recorded together complete Schumann and Mendelssohn cycles in 2014 and 2017 respectively. This Symphony Cycle was going to use the now complete performance material featuring the musical text of the "New Beethoven Complete Edition".

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will. His compositions, which frequently pushed the boundaries of tradition and startled audiences with their originality and power, are considered by many to be the foundation of 19th century musical principals.

An offspring of the Baroque trio sonata, the piano trio—usually denoting a work for piano, violin, and cello—was still in its infancy when Beethoven penned his first essay in the genre around 1791.

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.

For Antal Doráti, one of the mid-twentieth century's most gifted conductors, Beethoven was a central repertoire choice. This symphony cycle was recorded in 1975-76 at the beginning of his tenure as principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Long unavailable, these scintillating recordings, combining weight and depth with dance-like clarity, are newly presented as a CD edition.

Over a thirteen-year period, Gábor Takács-Nagy and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra embarked on a spiritual journey through the nine symphonies of Beethoven. The resultant cycle of recordings captures the ensemble's liberated and transformative account of these masterworks, approaching each opus with a sense of spontaneity, insight, and joy. In the words of legendary Beethoven biographer Jan Swafford: "Honesty is what we hear: no romantic lushness, no ego, rather a sense of the truth of each piece on its own terms. There is a sense of intimate communication between an orchestra and conductor in service of a vision of the works as individuals and as a whole."

"Antonini wählt für Beethovens neunte Sinfonie ein klein besetztes Orchester und einen Kammerchor. Doch diese vermeintlichen Einschränkungen sind gar keine. Alle Musiker sitzen hörbar auf der Stuhlkante. Vibratoarmes Spiel und das Zurücknehmen von langen Noten macht jedes Detail hör- und erlebbar." schrieb Concerti über die letzte Aufnahme der vielgelobten Gesamteinspielung Beethovens neun Sinfonien vom Kammerorchester Basel unter der Leitung des italienischen Gast-Dirigenten Giovanni Antonini. 2005 startete das Orchester das Aufnahmeprojekt, das schon bald als "eine der aufregendsten Beethoveneinspielungen unserer Tage" (Rondo) gefeiert wurde.

Arguably the first time the complete Beethoven Nine Symphonies has been recorded and presented in a boxed set by a female conductor.