| Details | | Playing Time: | 136 min. | | Contributing Artists: | Teresa Berganza, Thomas Stewart, Wieslaw Ochman | | Distributor: | Universal Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | ADD |
Album Notes Ludwig Van Beethoven, with his serious visage and forceful compositions, has such a reputation for profundity that people often overlook the range of his expression. The piercing imagery of his Fifth Symphony has colored the public's impression of so much of his work. He was, however, a man of many moods. The lyricism and joy found in his Seventh Symphony is full of romance. Lifting spirits with his inimitable use of strings, Beethoven builds extraordinary themes on a grand scale. The Eighth Symphony, with its dance-like rhythms has a more proper, refined charm, notably in the 'Tempo di Menuetto' movement. On the other hand, the Ninth is one of the composer's more severe compositions. Its fire and brimstone urgency releases its tension for some beautiful harmonies, only to pull taut once again. Culminating in the 'Ode to Joy,' (translated lyrics begin with "O friends, no more of these sounds! Let us sing more cheerful songs"), the conclusion shows both a joyous, even pious, levity and sense of humor.
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