Simon Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker – Beethoven: Symphonien 1-9 (2016) [FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

Recordings of all the Beethoven symphonies with their chief conductor are always a milestone in the artistic work of the Berliner Philharmoniker. So it was with Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado, and expectations are correspondingly high for this cycle conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Where does the special status of these symphonies come from? Simon Rattle has an explanation: “One of the things Beethoven does is to give you a mirror into yourself – where you are now as a musician.” In fact, this music contains such a wealth of extreme emotions and brilliant compositional ideas that reveal the qualities of the orchestra and its conductor as if under a magnifying glass.

Recorded live in October 2015 by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, this deluxe set of the nine symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven consists of five standard CDs, a Pure Audio Blu-ray disc, and two high-definition Blu-ray video discs of the concerts, altogether offering a comprehensive presentation of the cycle, along with a book of essays detailing the project. The rectangular hard-cover package is a little tricky to handle and is best opened on a flat surface, because the discs are placed in flip cases in a compartment on the left side and the book is attached to the right. Yet in spite of this awkward arrangement, the music is what counts most, and Rattle’s compelling readings are thorough in their scholarship and fully realized in gorgeous audiophile sound by one of the world’s greatest orchestras. Also included is a bonus documentary, “Living with Beethoven,” a digital download code, and another code for a seven-day ticket for the Digital Concert Hall, to access the Berlin Philharmonic’s streaming service. While this may be more than most listeners need, collectors will appreciate the additional material. Highly recommended.

Tracklist:

01 – Symphony No. 1: 1. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
02 – Symphony No. 1: 2. Andante cantabile con moto
03 – Symphony No. 1: 3. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace – Trio
04 – Symphony No. 1: 4. Finale: Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace
05 – Symphony No. 2: 1. Adagio – Allegro con brio
06 – Symphony No. 2: 2. Larghetto
07 – Symphony No. 2: 3. Scherzo: Allegro – Trio
08 – Symphony No. 2: 4. Finale: Allegro molto
09 – Symphony No. 3: 1. Allegro con brio
10 – Symphony No. 3: 2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
11 – Symphony No. 3: 3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace – Trio
12 – Symphony No. 3: 4. Finale: Allegro molto – Poco andante – Presto
13 – Symphony No. 4: 1. Adagio – Allegro vivace
14 – Symphony No. 4: 2. Adagio
15 – Symphony No. 4: 3. Allegro molto e vivace – Trio: Un poco meno allegro – Tempo I – Un poco meno allegro
16 – Symphony No. 4: 4. Allegro ma non troppo
17 – Symphony No. 5: 1. Allegro con brio
18 – Symphony No. 5: 2. Andante con moto
19 – Symphony No. 5: 3. Allegro
20 – Symphony No. 5: 4. Allegro – Presto
21 – Symphony No. 6: 1. Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande im Menschen erwachen: Allegro ma non troppo
22 – Symphony No. 6: 2. Szene am Bach: Andante molto mosso
23 – Symphony No. 6: 3. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute: Allegro
24 – Symphony No. 6: 4. Donner Sturm: Allegro
25 – Symphony No. 6: 5. Hirtengesang Wohltätige, mit Dank an die Gottheit verbundene Gefühle nach dem Sturm: Allegretto
26 – Symphony No. 7: 1. Poco sostenuto – Vivace
27 – Symphony No. 7: 2. Allegretto
28 – Symphony No. 7: 3. Presto – Trio I und II: Assai meno presto
29 – Symphony No. 7: 4. Allegro con brio
30 – Symphony No. 8: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio
31 – Symphony No. 8: 2. Allegretto scherzando
32 – Symphony No. 8: 3. Tempo di Menuetto – Trio
33 – Symphony No. 8: 4. Allegro vivace
34 – Symphony No. 9: 1. Allegro ma non troppo e un poco maestoso
35 – Symphony No. 9: 2. Molto vivace – Presto – Molto vivace – Presto
36 – Symphony No. 9: 3. Adagio molto e cantabile
37 – Symphony No. 9: 4a. Presto
38 – Symphony No. 9: 4b. Presto – Recitativo “O Freunde, nicht diese Töne”