Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies

“Antonini chooses a small orchestra and chamber choir for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. But these supposed limitations are none at all. All the musicians sit audibly on the edge of their chairs. Low-vibrato playing and the withdrawal of long notes make every detail audible and tangible,” wrote Concerti about the latest recording of the much-praised complete Beethoven’s nine symphonies by the Basel Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Italian guest conductor Giovanni Antonini. in 2005, the orchestra launched the recording project, which was soon hailed as “one of the most exciting Beethoven recordings of our day” (Rondo)

On the occasion of the Beethoven Year 2020, the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth, the “sensational recordings” (NDR) are now appearing for the first time bundled in a 6 CD box set. The brilliant Beethoven sound, with its extremely sharpened depths, owes much to the practices of historical performance practice, which conductor and baroque specialist Giovanni Antonini played a major role in shaping. Playing on period instruments is also part of the musical trademark of the Basel Chamber Orchestra. The final movement of the famous Symphony No. 9 with the “Ode to Joy” written by Friedrich Schiller is superbly sung on this recording by the Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir, Swiss soprano Regula Mühlemann, mezzo-soprano Marie-Claude Chappuis, tenor Maximilian Schmitt and baritone Thomas E. Bauer.