Beethoven’s symphonies are immediately recognisable as the work of a single composer, yet no two are alike. Each has its particular trajectory, its unique emotional gamut, its subtle nods to tradition and its less-subtle attempts to upend, expand and redefine the symphonic form; each one, on its own, has the capacity to bring immense pleasure to the casual listener, while also standing up to the highest scrutiny. Yet for those entrusted with the task of packaging and marketing the music, the arbitrary superstructure of the corpus – the idea that the nine symphonies somehow form an indivisible whole – has proved consistently popular. Since the beginning of the LP era, it has been the norm for conductors to record the full cycle, often with the same orchestra; many have felt compelled to record it more than once.
In October of 2015, Sir…
Comentarios