Let's come right out and say it: no other composer in the history of classical music changed the symphony more radically than Ludwig van Beethoven.
His First Symphony (1801) clearly pays its respects to his forerunners, and to the great 18th-century classical tradition embodied by Haydn and Mozart. However, each of the eight successive Beethoven symphonies - from the mercurial Second, via the supremely dramatic Fifth and on through the maniacal, dance-inflected Seventh - follows a unique trajectory all of its own. These astonishing works also usher in a new era: one in which composers were no longer subservient to their court patrons and could assert their right to individual expression. Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and so many others would gratefully take up the baton passed to them by Beethoven.
So it’s little wonder that Beethoven’s colossal symphonic legacy both inspired and intimidated later 19th-century composers. From the moment these works entered the repertory, conductors viewed the performance of a Beethoven cycle as a litmus test of their achievements.
Battle lines as to the ‘ideal’ interpretation of the symphonies were established at an early stage between Mendelssohn, whose performances were mercurial and precise, and Wagner’s more fluid and nuanced approaches. This dichotomy is mirrored in current approaches, with opposed views of the music emanating from Riccardo Chailly on one hand and Christian Thielemann on the other.
The best recordings of each of the Beethoven symphonies
Beethoven Symphony No. 1 best recording
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly Decca 478 3493
Following in the footsteps of Toscanini, Riccardo Chailly delivers a characteristically high-voltage account of Beethoven's First Symphony, perfectly capturing its moments of brusque humour with superbly incisive sforzando accents from his Leipzig players, yet allowing sufficient space for the graceful aspects of the second movement to come to the fore.
Buy this recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 1 from Amazon
Beethoven Symphony No. 2 best recording
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra/Stanislaw Skrowaczewski OEHMS OC522
Skrowaczewski and his Saarbrucken players bring a rare fire and fury to the first movement of Beethoven's Second Symphony. And few can match their bonhomie in the following two movements – as the music bounces from orchestral section to section, masterfully paced by the conductor, one gets the impression of players thoroughly enjoying each others’, and Beethoven’s, company.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 2 from Sheet Music Plus
Beethoven symphonies best recordings: the middle-period symphonies
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 best recording
Münchner Philharmoniker/Rudolf Kempe EMI 636 5552
When Rudolf Kempe made his Beethoven symphony cycle with the unfashionable Munich Philharmonic in the early 1970s, it was overshadowed by other, more glamorous interpretations, Herbert von Karajan’s in particular. But Kempe’s is a glorious Eroica, powerful and majestic, yet buoyed with lyricism and elegance. It remains a definitive point of reference.
The Eroica gets a performance at the 2024 BBC Proms. That's Prom 72, which takes place on Friday 13 September.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Eroica from Amazon
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 best recording
Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Joshua Bell Sony Classical 88765448812
An exhilaratingly alert performance responding to every nuance of the music, and with a spellbinding account of the long pianissimo passage heralding the first movement’s recapitulation. Violinist and conductor Joshua Bell and his co-players also convey all the warmth of the slow movement and the wit of the finale, reminding us why the Fourth is one of the most graceful and immediately lovable among the Beethoven symphonies.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony from Amazon
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 best recording
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Carlos Kleiber Deutsche Grammophon 447 4002
Voted in at No. 3 in BBC Music Magazine’s list of The 50 Greatest Recordings of All Time, this Carlos Kleiber performance has a compelling intensity and electric energy that is utterly suited to the emotional world of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Kleiber didn’t often go into the recording studio, but when he did the results were entirely unforgettable, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which we named one of the world's best orchestras, on blistering form here.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony from Amazon
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 best recording
London Classical Players/Roger Norrington Virgin 083 4232 (part of 7-CD set)
Still as fresh as ever – a combination of original instruments and conductor Roger Norrington’s energy – this 1980s recording of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony gets to the heart of Beethoven’s titanic creativity. Every note, every phrase penetratingly re-thought, it’s like hearing the music for the first time: the bird-calls sound startling, the ‘beginner’ bassoon in the Scherzo wonderfully wittily, the storm elemental.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony as part of a boxset from Amazon
Beethoven symphonies best recordings: the late symphonies
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 best recording
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Riccardo Chailly Decca 478 3496
Riccardo Chailly achieves the near-impossible with this recording of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, combining the classicising insights of period-style performers with the tonal richness and expressive gravity of old-school master interpreters such as Otto Klemperer or Carlos Kleiber. The rhythms are crisp and vital, the colours gorgeous, the expression intense and broad-ranging, and all is captured in superb recorded sound.
The fact that Chailly and the Gewandhaus make a second appearance in this list tells you all you need to know: theirs is an excellent cycle of the Beethoven symphonies. In fact, we named this set the overall best Beethoven symphony cycle in our article on the best Beethoven symphony sets.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony from Amazon
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 best recording
Vienna Philharmonic/Claudio Abbado Australian Eloquence ELQ4805952
Distinguished recordings of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony are not rare, but to seize it in all its aspects turns out to be reserved for peculiar temperaments. An Eloquence recording from 1970 under Claudio Abbado, paired with a noble account of Bruckner’s First Symphony, is a highly recommended modern-ish recording; but if you can tolerate decent mono sound, then Sir Thomas Beecham (Sony Classical) and Hans Knappertsbusch (Orfeo) are truly Jove-like.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Eight Symphony on Amazon
Beethoven symphonies best recordings: the Ninth!
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 best recording
Juntunen, Karnéus, Norman, Davies; Minnesota Chorale & Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä BIS BIS-1616
Benefiting (as many recent recordings do) from Jonathan Del Mar’s edition of the score, one of the finest modern versions of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony finds conductor Osmo Vänskä and his Minnesota Orchestra on their tautest form in a 2006 account, notable for its keen focus on detail, its intelligent and sensitive handling of tempo relationships, and its overall organic integrity.
You can buy this recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony from Arkiv Music
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