BBC Radio 3

Symphony no.6 in F major 'Pastoral'

Reviewer: John Deathridge
Broadcast: 5th November 2011

First Choice Recommendation:

• BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6
• Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Carlos Kleiber (conductor)
• ORFEO C600031B (CD, mid-price)
  

'Harp' Quartet no.10 in Eb major Opus 74

Reviewer: Harriet Smith
Broadcast: 4th June 2011

• Complete String Quartets
• BEETHOVEN: Quartet no.10 in Eb major Opus 74 "Harp"
• c/w BEETHOVEN: Quartet for Strings no 1 in F major op. 18 no 1, Grosse Fuge for String Quartet in B flat major op. 133, Quartet for Strings no 2 in G major op. 18 no 2, Quartet for Strings no 3 in D major op. 18 no 3, Quartet for Strings no 4 in C minor op. 18 no 4, Quartet for Strings no 5 in A major op. 18 no 5, Quartet for Strings no 6 in B flat major op. 18 no 6, Quartet for Strings no 7 in F major op. 59 no 1 "Razumovsky", Quartet for Strings no 8 in E minor op. 59 no 2 "Razumovsky", Quartet for Strings no 9 in C major op. 59 no 3 "Razumovsky", Quartet for Strings no 11 in F minor op. 95 "Serioso", Quartet for Strings no 12 in E flat major op. 127, Quartet for Strings no 13 in B flat major op. 130, Quartet for Strings no 14 in C sharp minor op. 131, Quartet for Strings no 15 in A minor op. 132, Quartet for Strings no 16 in F major op. 135
• Alban Berg Quartett: Gunter Pichler (violin), Gerhard Schulz (violin), Hatto Beyerle (viola), Valentin Erben (cello)
• EMI Budget Boxes 5736062 (7CD)

Violin Concerto Op.61

Reviewer: Roy Goodman
Broadcast: 9th April 2011

• BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto Op.61
• c/w 'Kreutzer' Sonata No. 9 Op. 47
• Isabelle Faust (violin), Prague Philharmonia, Jiri Belohlavek (conductor);
• Alexander Melnikov (piano)
• Harmonia Mundi HMC901944

Piano Sonata no. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7

Reviewer: Iain Burnside
Broadcast: 11th December 2010

• BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonatas Vol.1 (Nos.1-4)
• Andras Schiff (piano)
• ECM 4763054 (CD)

Violin Sonatas – an update on recent releases.

Reviewer: Ivan Hewett
Broadcast: 23rd October 2010

Ivan Hewett recommends the complete set from Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov for its beauty of line, imaginative insights and feeling of spontaneity.
He also greatly enjoyed a single disc from Viktoria Mullova and Kristian Bezuidenhout on period instruments, including the “Kreutzer” sonata.
Also recommended are the complete volumes 1-4 from Hiro Kurosaki and Linda Nicholson, on a range of period instruments, and the first volume in a projected cycle from the youthful duo of Alina Ibragimova and Cedric Tibeghien, caught live at Wigmore Hall.

• Viktoria Mullova (violin) / Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
• Onyx ONYX4050 (CD)

• Isabelle Faust (violin) / Alexander Melnikov (piano)
• Harmonia Mundi HMC902025-27 (4CD + bonus DVD)


• Violin Sonatas – Volume 1
• Hiro Kurosaki (violin) / Linda Nicholson (fortepiano)
• Accent ACC24211 (CD)


• Violin Sonatas – Volume 1
• Alina Ibragimova (violin) / Cedric Tiberghien (piano)
• Wigmore Hall Live WHLive0036 (CD)

Symphony No 9

Reviewer: Stephen Johnson
Broadcast: 26th December 2009

• Aase Nordmo-Lovberg (soprano) / Christa Ludwig (contralto) / Waldemar Kmennt (tenor) / Hans Hotter (bass) / Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra / Otto Klemperer (conductor)
• (Rec live, Royal Festival Hall, London, 15.11.1957)
• Testament SBT1177 (CD)

• c/w BEETHOVEN: The Creatures of Prometheus Op 43 (Finale) Jane Eaglen (soprano) / Waltraud Meier (mezzosoprano) / Ben Heppner (tenor) and Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone) / Swedish Radio Choir / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Claudio Abbado (conductor)
• (Live performance from the 1996 Salzburg Easter Festival)
• Sony Classical 5162302 (CD, Mid Price)

String Quartet No. 11 in F minor Op. 95

Reviewer: Stephen Johnson
Broadcast: 31st January 2009

• Takacs Quartet
• Decca 4708492 (3 CDs, Mid Price)

• Busch Quartet, Rudolf Serkin (piano)
• EMI 5653082 (4 CDs, Budget)
• Also available on EMI Great Recordings of the Century series 5096552 (3 CDs, Mid Price)