Beethoven
Evaluations of a smorgasbord of Beethoven symphony recordings.
Superb discs from pianist Lars Vogt, violinist Francesca Dego, pianist Denis Kozhukhin, and violinist James Ehnes on the viola.
This performance was far more than special and crazily beautiful — it was extraordinary.
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Frieze is, without a doubt, one of the major symphonic scores of our century.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s final recording is the conductor at his best. Bernard Haitink helmed a great performance of Mahler’s Symphony no. 1.
Working within the forms perfected by Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven early compositions managed to say some things that remain compelling to hear.
This is truly exciting, world-beating Beethoven, played with gusto and a kind of musical intelligence that you simply can’t take for granted.
Alfred Brendel was the first pianist to record all of Beethoven’s piano music in the 1960s and made many world tours with the 32 sonatas, which seemed like old, close friends. At times he would simply play a snippet here and there to illustrate a point, yet never long enough to satisfy this listener. I…
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