Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies

by Camilla Tilling, Kelley O'Connor, Gianandrea Noseda, National Symphony Orchestra

Overview

The National Symphony Orchestra was never one of the famous U.S. symphonic ensembles, but it has been getting headlines and listeners thanks to the energy of music director Gianandrea Noseda. The Beethoven symphony performances here, collected over 18 months, drew good crowds at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and many people will be glad to see them in a box set adorned with videos of some of the performances. There is nothing world-beating about Noseda's interpretations, but by and large, they are satisfying, with an ebullience that is also reflected in the 1960s-style graphics. Noseda manages both to differentiate the works and to stamp a personal style on them and really, it is hard to ask for anything more. His tempos are quick throughout, with a feeling of great energy running through the whole. Sometimes, it catches fire; the last two movements of the Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, must have been breathtaking to hear in person, and the horns in the first movement of that symphony step up to the demands Noseda places on them. The finale of the Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica"), is also quite fast and seems to fit with the muscular earlier movements in a way that nobody else has quite gotten. There are times when Noseda seems a step ahead of the orchestra, as in the first movement of the Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, and times when the slow movements seem inadvisably brisk; that of the Seventh does not feel funereal. However, these junctures may involve matters of taste, and it is worth stressing that Noseda has caught a thread and carried it through, concluding with an imposing Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ("Choral"); sample the Scherzo especially. The live sound is adequate but does not rise to the level some European in-house labels have achieved; the microphones seem a bit distant from the musicians. On the whole, the set should be cause for celebration in American orchestral circles. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/15/2024
Label:	National Symphony
UPC:	0810038861326
Rank:	8554

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~2. Andante cantabile con moto
3. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~3. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
4. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~4. Finale: Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~1. Allegro con brio
6. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
7. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
8. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~4. Finale: Allegro molto

Disc 2

9. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
10. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~2. Larghetto
11. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~3. Scherzo: Allegro
12. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~4. Allegro molto
13. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
14. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~2. Allegretto
15. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~3. Presto - Assai meno presto
16. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~4. Allegro con brio

Disc 3

17. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
18. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~2. Adagio
19. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~3. Menuetto: Allegro vivace
20. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~4. Allegro ma non troppo
21. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~1. Allegro con brio
22. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~2. Andante con moto
23. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~3. Scherzo: Allegro
24. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~4. Allegro

Disc 4

25. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~1. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande: Allegro ma non troppo
26. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~2. Szene am Bach: Andante molto moto
27. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~3. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute: Allegro
28. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~4. Gewitter. Sturm: Allegro
29. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~5. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm: Allegretto
30. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~1. Allegro vivace e con brio
31. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~2. Allegretto scherzando
32. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~3. Tempo di menuetto
33. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~4. Allegro vivace

Disc 5

34. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
35. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~2. Molto vivace - Presto
36. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato
37. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~4. Finale. Presto - Allegro assai

Disc 6

38. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
39. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~2. Andante cantabile con moto
40. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~3. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
41. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21~4. Finale: Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
42. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
43. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~2. Larghetto
44. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~3. Scherzo: Allegro
45. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36~4. Allegro molto
46. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~1. Allegro con brio
47. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
48. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
49. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"~4. Finale: Allegro molto
50. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
51. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~2. Adagio
52. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~3. Menuetto: Allegro vivace
53. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60~4. Allegro ma non troppo
54. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~1. Allegro con brio
55. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~2. Andante con moto
56. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~3. Scherzo: Allegro
57. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67~4. Allegro
58. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~1. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande: Allegro ma non troppo
59. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~2. Szene am Bach: Andante molto moto
60. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~3. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute: Allegro
61. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~4. Gewitter. Sturm: Allegro
62. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"~5. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm: Allegretto

Disc 7

63. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
64. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~2. Allegretto
65. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~3. Presto - Assai meno presto
66. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92~4. Allegro con brio
67. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~1. Allegro vivace e con brio
68. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~2. Allegretto scherzando
69. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~3. Tempo di menuetto
70. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93~4. Allegro vivace
71. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
72. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~2. Molto vivace - Presto
73. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato
74. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral"~4. Finale. Presto - Allegro assai

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Camilla Tilling   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Kelley O'Connor   Primary Artist,Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
Gianandrea Noseda   Primary Artist,Conductor
National Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Primary Artist,Orchestra
Ryan McKinny   Bass Baritone
Washington Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Issachah Savage   Tenor (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Mark Donahue   Mastering Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Engineer
Peter Laki   Liner Notes
Scott Suchman   Photography
Nigel Boon   Executive Producer
Blanton Alspaugh   Recording Producer
Scott Sosebee   Cover Design
Ibon Errazkin   Liner Note Translation
Ludwig van Beethoven   Composer
National Symphony Orchestra   Executive Producer
David Millinger   Booklet Editor
Eugene Rogers   Artistic Director
Mo Willems   Liner Notes
Friedrich Schiller   Text
Stefano Pasqualetti   Photography
Genevieve Twomey   Booklet Editor,Executive Producer
Trix Willems   Photography