Album

One may have high hopes for this hybrid SACD set of the nine symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchesta, and for the most part, these hopes are well-founded. Credit is due Vänskä for eliciting closely detailed yet stirring readings from his musicians, and the Minnesotans respond with great spirit and technical brilliance in the performances of the first eight symphonies. The playing is even quite good in the performance of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," though this multichannel recording is the weakest of the cycle and almost unworthy of being placed alongside its sharper and clearer sounding companions, due to its variable and often dull reproduction. SACDs aren't supposed to sound this stuffy and airless, and a state-of-the-art recording should sound fabulously resonant and vibrantly alive, not mixed-down to some middling volume level. One has to wonder how the sound could be so enjoyable on the first four discs in this package, and then be so frustrating on the fifth. Even though there are some exciting moments, particularly in the Finale, where the Minnesota Chorale joins the orchestra in a rousing rendition of the Ode to Joy, the sound seems only as good as a regular CD, and the orchestra is not shown to best advantage. This will make the biggest difference to the listener who wants a consistent and terrific-sounding set of the symphonies and who may be disappointed with any flagging of quality. To the collector who owns multiple recordings of the Symphony No. 9, this may only be a minor problem, and the set will still be easy to appreciate for the bulk of its fine playing and generally first-rate audio.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21 Work Recorded 2007 25:34 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	8:32			$1.49
2	2.Andante cantabile con moto	7:49			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace	3:35			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Adagio. Allegro molto e vivace	5:38			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.6 in F, Op.68 ('Pastoral') Work Recorded 2007 41:18 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
5	1.Allegro ma non troppo: Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft (Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside)	11:26			$1.99
6	2.Andante molto mosso: Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)	11:58			$1.99
7	3.Allegro: Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)	5:13			$0.99
8	4.Allegro: Donner. Sturm (Thunder, storm)	3:38			$0.99
9	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)	9:03			$1.49
CD 2 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36 Work Recorded 2008 33:03 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	12:20			$1.99
2	2.Larghetto	10:35			$1.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:46			$0.99
4	4.Allegro molto	6:22			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92 Work Recorded 2008 38:13 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
5	1.Poco sostenuto. Vivace	13:55			$2.49
6	2.Allegretto	8:37			$1.49
7	3.Scherzo: Presto	6:56			$0.99
8	4.Finale: Allegro con brio	8:45			$1.49
CD 3 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.3 in Eb, Op.55 ('Eroica') Work Recorded 2005-2006 49:39 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
1	1.Allegro con brio	16:58			$2.99
2	2.Marcia funebre: Adagio assai	15:07			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	5:56			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro molto	11:38			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 Work Recorded 2005-2006 25:16 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
5	1.Allegro vivace e con brio	9:06			$1.49
6	2.Allegretto scherzando	4:05			$0.99
7	3.Tempo di menuetto	4:48			$0.99
8	4.Allegro vivace	7:17			$1.49
CD 4 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.4 in Bb, Op.60 Work Recorded 2004 33:27 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
1	1.Adagio. Allegro vivace	11:20			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	9:31			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro vivace. Trio: Un poco meno allegro	5:59			$0.99
4	4.Allegro ma non troppo	6:37			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67 Work Recorded 2004 32:25 Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
5	1.Allegro con brio	7:32			$1.49
6	2.Andante con moto	9:31			$1.49
7	3.Scherzo: Allegro	4:44			$0.99
8	4.Allegro	10:38			$1.99
CD 5 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.9 in D-, Op.125 ('Choral') Work Recorded 2006 1:05:24 Minnesota Chorale Chorus/Choir, Neal Davies Bass-baritone, Helena Juntunen Soprano, Daniel Norman Tenor, Katarina Karnéus Mezzo-Soprano, Minnesota Orchestra Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Conductor
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso	14:45			$2.49
2	2.Scherzo: Molto vivace. Presto	13:26			$2.49
3	3.Adagio molto e cantabile	14:12			$2.49
4	4.Presto. Allegro assai ('Ode to Joy'; complete)	23:01			$3.99