Beethoven’s nine symphonies – composed between 1800 and 1824 – are true cornerstones of the classical canon. Marking an irrefutable turning point in the history of music, they transformed audiences’ expectations of the symphony and influenced the genre’s future development through their experimental, dramatic and expressive weight. Conductors have long been drawn to the profundity of these works: a complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies is viewed as one of the ultimate challenges in the repertoire, and the performances in this set are undoubtedly among the greatest to have been recorded, illuminating the skill of the Staatskapelle Dresden and Herbert Blomstedt, one of the most distinguished conductors of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Works:
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 'Eroica'
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 'Pastoral'
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'