Conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra) performs Ludwig van Beethoven’s all nine symphonies. In the 9th Symphony, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig sings the chorus part. Published by the hr-Sinfonieorchester channel.
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on February 11, 2016.
- Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
- Andante cantabile con moto
- Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace – Trio – Menuetto
- Finale. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace
Beethoven’s 1st Symphony was published in 1801 and dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, an early patron of the composer.
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on April 15, 2016.
- Adagio molto, 3/4 – Allegro con brio, 4/4 (D major)
- Larghetto, 3/8 (A major)
- Scherzo: Allegro, 3/4 (D major)
- Allegro molto, 2/2 (D major)
Written between 1801 and 1802, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 was dedicated to Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky.
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on February 11, 2016.
- Allegro con brio (E-flat major)
- Marcia funebre: Adagio assai (C minor)
- Scherzo: Allegro vivace (E-flat major)
- Finale: Allegro molto (E-flat major)
Beethoven completed his fourth symphony‘s composition in early 1804, and the first public performance of the symphony was on 7 April 1805 in Vienna.
Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on February 12, 2016.
- Adagio – Allegro vivace, 2/2 (B-flat minor-B-flat major)
- Adagio, 3/4 (E-flat major)
- Allegro vivace, 3/4 (B-flat major)
- Allegro ma non troppo, 2/4 (B-flat major)
Completed in the summer of 1806 and premièred in March 1807 at a private concert at the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz.
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on February 12, 2016.
- Allegro con brio
- Andante con moto
- Scherzo. Allegro
- Allegro
Written between 1804–1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music and one of the most frequently played symphonies. First performed in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1808.
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on April 14, 2016.
- Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside): Allegro ma non troppo
- Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook): Andante molto mosso
- Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk): Allegro
- Gewitter, Sturm (Thunder. Storm): Allegro
- Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm (Shepherd’s song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm): Allegretto
Completed in 1808 and first performed in the Theater an der Wien on 22 December 1808.
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on April 15, 2016.
- Poco sostenuto – Vivace (A major)
- Allegretto (A minor)
- Presto – Assai meno presto (trio) (F major) (Trio in D major)
- Allegro con brio (A major)
Composed between 1811 and 1812, while the composer improving his health in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice. The work is dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries.
Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 “Little Symphony in F”
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on April 14, 2016.
- Allegro vivace e con brio
- Allegretto scherzando
- Tempo di Menuetto
- Allegro vivace
Beethoven’s 8th Symphony was composed in 1812. The premiere took place on 27 February 1814, at a concert in the Redoutensaal, Vienna, at which the Seventh Symphony (which had been premiered two months earlier) was also played.
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral”
Recorded at Alte Oper Frankfurt on April 17, 2016. Camilla Nylund, Soprano; Gerhild Romberger, Alto; Michael König, Tenor; Nathan Berg, Bass. Chorus: MDR Rundfunkchor, choirmaster: Nicolas Fink.
- Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
- Scherzo: Molto vivace – Presto
- Adagio molto e cantabile – Andante Moderato – Tempo Primo – Andante Moderato – Adagio – Lo Stesso Tempo
- Presto; Allegro molto assai (Alla marcia); Andante maestoso; Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato
Beethoven’s final complete symphony. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best-known works in classical music. Among critics, it is almost universally considered one of Beethoven’s greatest works, and many consider it one of the greatest compositions in the Western musical canon.
The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony (thus making it a choral symphony). The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the “Ode to Joy”, a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer. Today, it stands as one of the most-played symphonies in the world.
In 2001, Beethoven’s autographed score of the Ninth Symphony, held by the Berlin State Library, was added to the United Nations Memory of the World Programme Heritage list, becoming the first musical score so honored.
Sources
Beethoven’s symphonies:
- Symphony No. 1 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 2 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 3 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 4 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 5 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 6 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 7 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 8 on Wikipedia
- Symphony No. 9 on Wikipedia
