Beethoven: Complete Symphonies & Selected Overtures
From the legendary Oct-Dec 1939 cycle: new 2013 digital transfers
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Awards:
-
Presto Favourites, Recommended Recording
a remarkable testament to Toscanini
Beethoven: Complete Symphonies & Selected Overtures
From the legendary Oct-Dec 1939 cycle: new 2013 digital transfers
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Presto Favourites, Recommended Recording
a remarkable testament to Toscanini
About
By 1939, after more than half a century on the podium and more than four decades conducting Beethoven, Toscanini’s approach to interpreting the canon could hardly have avoided extensive change and development. Precisely how he performed the symphonies early in the century is inevitably to some degree a matter of speculation, since no recordings survive from the first half of his career. This fine release can of course be judge and throughout the years this 1939 cycle recorded between October and December has been described as ‘legendary’.
Contents and tracklist
Spotlight on this release
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Ludwig van Beethoven - Orchestral & Choral Works
6th Feb 2015
James attempts the Herculean task of choosing his favourite recordings of orchestral and choral works by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Awards and reviews
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Presto FavouritesRecommended Recording
a remarkable testament to Toscanini
Toscanini conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra in this set from 1939 which for many is still the benchmark when it comes to conducting and performing Beethoven. Movements such as the last movement of the Second and the Scherzo of the Fifth are full of fire and riveting momentum. Considering the age of the set, the recorded sound is quite stunning.
classicalsource.com
The greatest Beethoven cycle around”
