Album

With so many Beethoven symphony cycles available, is there a reason to add this one from the mid-'90s by Colin Davis with the Dresden Staatskapelle to your shelf? It depends on two things: how big is your shelf and how insatiable is your curiosity? For one thing, this cycle has Davis' supremely civilized yet profoundly passionate conducting, shaping, and shading of the music, following its architecture but instilling it with his own particular brand of fervor. A widely admired Mozart/Haydn, Sibelius/Stravinsky conductor, Davis rarely recorded Beethoven, and his way with him his highly individualistic with sharp accents, driving rhythms, and amazing grace. For another, it has the Staatskapelle's superbly poised and deeply dedicated playing, molding and coloring the music, breathing life into its notes and rhythms and making them sing and dance. A well-known east German Strauss/Bruckner orchestra, the Staatskapelle likewise rarely recorded Beethoven, and its performances are all its own with burnished colors, refined lines, and controlled power. Plus, Philips' sound is cool but crisp, clear but full, and clean but lush, that is, typical magnificent Philips' sound. In short, if your shelf is big and already contains a dozen or more Beethoven symphony cycles and if your curiosity for unusual conductor-orchestra combinations is insatiable, you might have room for the Davis/Dresden Beethoven cycle, too.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21 Work Recorded 1993 27:37 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	9:31			$1.49
2	2.Andante cantabile con moto	8:35			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace	3:30			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Adagio. Allegro molto e vivace	6:01			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92 Work Recorded 1992 44:25 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
5	1.Poco sostenuto. Vivace	14:58			$2.49
6	2.Allegretto	9:43			$1.49
7	3.Scherzo: Presto	10:30			$1.99
8	4.Finale: Allegro con brio	9:14			$1.49
CD 2 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36 Work Recorded 1992 35:21 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	13:10			$2.49
2	2.Larghetto	11:25			$1.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:53			$0.99
4	4.Allegro molto	6:53			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 Work Recorded 1993 27:37 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
5	1.Allegro vivace e con brio	10:04			$1.99
6	2.Allegretto scherzando	4:08			$0.99
7	3.Tempo di menuetto	5:12			$0.99
8	4.Allegro vivace	8:13			$1.49
CD 3 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.3 in Eb, Op.55 ('Eroica') Work Recorded 1991 55:20 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Allegro con brio	18:53			$2.99
2	2.Marcia funebre: Adagio assai	17:30			$2.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	6:01			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro molto	12:56			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Egmont (incidental music, after Goethe's play), Op.84 Work Recorded 1991 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
5	1.Overture: Sostenuto, ma non troppo. Allegro	9:07			$1.49
CD 4 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.4 in Bb, Op.60 Work Recorded 1993 34:54 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Adagio. Allegro vivace	11:55			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	10:00			$1.99
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro vivace. Trio: Un poco meno allegro	6:00			$0.99
4	4.Allegro ma non troppo	6:59			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67 Work Recorded 1992 35:55 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
5	1.Allegro con brio	7:55			$1.49
6	2.Andante con moto	10:38			$1.99
7	3.Scherzo: Allegro	6:03			$0.99
8	4.Allegro	11:19			$1.99
CD 5 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.6 in F, Op.68 ('Pastoral') Work Recorded 1992 46:02 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo: Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft (Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside)	12:28			$1.99
2	2.Andante molto mosso: Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)	13:51			$2.49
3	3.Allegro: Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)	5:49			$0.99
4	4.Allegro: Donner. Sturm (Thunder, storm)	4:18			$0.99
5	5.Allegretto: Hirtengesang. Wohltätige, mit Dank and die Goltheit verbundene Gefühle nach dem Sturm (Shepherds' song. Beneficent feelings with thanks to the Godhead after the storm)	9:36			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Leonore Overture No.3 in C, Op.72b Work Recorded 1993 Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
6	Leonore Overture No.3 in C, Op.72b	14:40			$2.49
CD 6 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.9 in D-, Op.125 ('Choral') Work Recorded 1993 1:11:36 Jadwiga Rappe Contralto, Sharon Sweet Soprano, Paul Frey Tenor, Staatsopernchor Dresden Chorus/Choir, Franz Grundheber Bass-baritone, Hans-Dieter Pflueger Chorus/Choir Director, Sir Colin Davis Conductor, Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso	17:20			$2.99
2	2.Scherzo: Molto vivace. Presto	13:39			$2.49
3	3.Adagio molto e cantabile	15:34			$2.49
4	4.Presto. Allegro assai ('Ode to Joy'; complete)	6:36			$0.99
5	4b.O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!	0:55			$0.49
6	4c.Allegro assai vivace ('Freude, schöner Götterfunken' - with vocal 'Ode to Joy' theme)	2:46			$0.99
7	4d.Alla marcia: Allegro vivace assai	4:39			$0.99
8	4e.Andante maestoso. Adagio non troppo, ma divoto	3:38			$0.99
9	4f.Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato	2:17			$0.99
10	4g.Allegro ma non tanto; 4h.Prestissimo (end)	4:12			$0.99