Conductor Manfred Honeck and his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra recorded this live reading of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, in 2019. The marketplace was not exactly crying out for a new Beethoven's Ninth, even considering Honeck's strong track record in Classical-era repertory and Reference Recordings' increasingly fine results in Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall. However, it is absolutely worth experiencing Honeck's accomplishment here. The reading is distinctive and justified at length in a booklet essay by Honeck. His reading is fast, blazing, kinetic, with moments of high contrast, such as the ethereal third movement in its entirety, giving the listener breathing space. The first movement is quick, but Honeck relaxes the tempo just slightly as things proceed, making room for the brass to give their stentorian statements. The scherzo is very fast throughout, which has the effect of not stealing the delicate discourse from the slow movement, and the finale, though also fast, is never rushed. There is a certain logic in playing the work this way, inasmuch as the impossible-to-sing passages in the solos become just a bit less impossible at these speeds. Most impressive is that Honeck holds the musicians and the singers together at his blazing speeds; his 22:30 timing for the finale comes in more than two minutes faster than, say, Fritz Reiner's classic Chicago Symphony recording, and Honeck would have been even faster had he not offered a rather deliberate reading of the movement's recitative introduction. The soloists shine, and they deliver in a difficult reading that, at its best, feels like the cry of exultation Beethoven envisioned. The slightly American accent of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is somehow not a detriment but an inducement here; there is real energy running through the performance and real joy. Reference Recordings has once again produced audiophile-quality sound whose depth and transparency are awesome even on everyday equipment. © TiVo

Beethoven's nine symphonies -- what can one say? The greatest body of orchestral works ever composed? Probably. The most performed body of orchestral works ever composed? Certainly. The most recorded body of orchestral works ever composed? Absolutely. Not only has virtually every conductor recorded a Beethoven cycle, some of them have gotten to record it multiple times: Abbado, Bernstein, Solti, Karajan, and Haitink, among others. What does this proliferation tell us? Usually nothing about the music that hasn't been heard before, but sometimes something about what the conductor thinks about the music. These performances with the London Symphony Orchestra recorded in 2005 and 2006 tell what Bernard Haitink thinks about the greatest body of orchestral works ever composed. And what does Haitink think? Pretty much nothing that hasn't been thought before. His tempos are neither too fast nor too slow, but straight down the moderato. His dynamics are neither too loud nor too quiet, but right in the mezzo. His textures are clear and lucid. His colors are blended and smooth. His interpretations are solid and sincere. But what does Haitink tell us about what he thinks about Beethoven's symphonies? Pretty much nothing except that he is an experienced conductor with a superb baton technique who keeps his opinions to himself. The London Symphony's playing is enthusiastic but too often ragged around the edges for comfort. LSO Live's recording is transparent but the perspective seems to shift from work to work -- sometimes the strings are too far away, other times the brass are too close.© TiVo

Over the course of his 65-year conducting career, Bernard Haitink has recorded Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral" on several occasions, and this solid performance with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra joins the admirable recordings he has made with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Of these, the LSO's 2006 release offers the best sound quality, with direct stream digital reproduction that captures everything in the score, and it is recommended for audiophiles who require its transparency and spacious audio reproduction. For most listeners' purposes, though, Haitink has recorded a similar interpretation with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and despite the absence of multichannel technology, this release has decent sound that most listeners will find satisfactory and a highly detailed performance that is quite comparable to the others. Haitink's great virtue is consistency, and this regularity over multiple recordings throughout his career has made him one of the most dependable conductors of standard symphonic repertoire. Add to this the exceptional quartet of soprano Sally Matthews, alto Gerhild Romberger, tenor Mark Padmore, and bass Gerald Finley, and the robust singing from the Bavarian Radio Chorus, and the total effect of the symphony, particularly the "Ode to Joy," is impressive and thrilling.© TiVo

Issued complete for the first time, a new recording of Franz Liszt’s iconic piano transcriptions of the nine Beethoven symphonies. As the Italian pianist Giovanni Bellucci remarks in an extensive booklet introduction, this album is the fruit of study over the past 20 years and more, into the worlds of both Beethoven and Liszt and their meeting point in these transcriptions where the Hungarian composer sought to honour his forebear as the original leader of an artistic movement we now think of as Romanticism, where the composer places himself at the front and centre of his works. Liszt’s transcriptions diverged from the ready-made arrangements which publishers rapidly produced and reprinted to meet the demands of amateur and domestic audiences. Here, the symphonic world of Beethoven is not merely experienced as a distant echo but translated into the idiom of the virtuoso piano which swept across Europe during the latter half of the 19th century, led by Liszt and Clara Schumann. Thus in these performances, Bellucci seeks a kind of fidelity to the Romantic age of the transcriptions rather than the Classical age of the original works. Taking broad tempi and probing deeply into textures which, after all, condense the soundworld of an entire orchestra into the span of ten fingers, Bellucci presents an individual and compelling new vision of works which renew themselves at the hands of each new generation’s interpreters. The cycle reaches its climax with the Ninth, recorded live at the 2014 Lisztomania Festival in France, with the participation of the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno and soloists Hana Škarková, Lucie Hilscherová, Michal Lehotský and Martin Gurbal. Other studio sessions have taken place in the famous Salle de Musique at La Chaux de Fonds in Switzerland, between 2018 and 2021. "In completing the project", Bellucci remarks, "I would like to borrow Franz Liszt’s words and make them mine, albeit just for a moment: "The piano is, for me, what the frigate is for the sailor, indeed, perhaps even more, because the piano is my word, is my life". In transcribing the 9 Beethoven Symphonies for piano solo Franz Liszt (1811-1886) not only made these symphonic masterworks available for domestic use but also demonstrated his immense creativity, insight, knowledge and pianistic resources. The work of a true genius, these transcriptions reveal the essential language and message of Beethoven, written down in pianism of the highest quality and difficulty, in this sense still valuable today. It takes a pianist of near superhuman powers and virtuosity to do justice to these scores. Giovanni Bellucci is such a pianist. Not only he "plays all the notes" but he is able to recreate the grandeur, drama, lyricism and intimacy of the original, presenting a monument made up of countless details. © Brilliant Classics

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Michael Tilson Thomas' super audio recordings of Beethoven's symphonies with the San Francisco Symphony deserve attention for their superb musicianship and extraordinary sound quality. Recorded live in 2012, this performance of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," reflects mainstream tradition, insofar as the chorus and orchestra are of a conventional size and the instrumentation and playing style are modern, so don't expect the streamlined forces and rarefied tone colors of a period interpretation. Even so, Tilson Thomas' reading isn't hidebound by 20th century norms, and he takes pains to distinguish the inner parts and draw out clean timbres by keeping the textures transparent; furthermore, the strange voicings and odd passing dissonances that are sometimes concealed in over-homogenized renditions are easy to hear. Tempos are steady in the first movement, though a little too deliberate, and Tilson Thomas seldom indulges in rubato or dramatic changes, except at the important climaxes. Particularly praiseworthy are the exciting rhythmic exchanges in the Scherzo, which is maintained at a brisk clip and played with exceptional vigor and intensity. The Adagio is a delight of smooth, lyrical counterpoint, and Tilson Thomas' phrasing is eloquent and affecting, noticeably in the slight breaks at changes of key that suggest a catching of breath. The Finale is the highlight of this recording, thanks to the orchestra's passion, the singers' dramatic presentation, and the conductor's coherent pacing, which come together in a stirring Ode to Joy that feels cathartic and joyous. The reproduction is big and spacious, so the massed forces have full presence and an impressive dynamic range.© TiVo

Pianists Philippe Cassard and Cédric Pescia have found an original way to commemorate Beethoven’s birth by unearthing the masterful transcription of Franz Liszt’s Ninth Symphony for two pianos. The Hungarian virtuoso performed the entire corpus solo, but the Ninth (with its soloists and final chorus) suggested that it should be performed by two pianos. At his publisher’s request, he finally – and reluctantly - recorded a version just for the one piano. This new album, however, does full justice to Franz Liszt’s original idea. Beyond the difficult Finale (a real obstacle course) and the constant search for colours, pedals, tones and balance, this release of Beethoven’s masterpiece is almost like a sonic X-ray, allowing you to appreciate just how complex and modern it is.Cédric Pescia (on piano primo) and Philippe Cassard (on piano secondo) display their virtuosity through tremolos, jumps, octaves and repeated notes. They also sing in the sublime Adagio before embracing the great vocal mass of the Finale. While Schiller’s fraternal words are obviously missing from this scrupulously respectful arrangement, the message nevertheless becomes evident through the two musician’s performances. © François Hudry/Qobuz