New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Decca Classics is proud to announce the upcoming release of Sir Neville Marriner's complete Beethoven symphony cycle, a monumental collection commemorating the centenary of the legendary British conductor's birth on April 15, 2024. https://sirnevillemarriner.lnk.to/BeethovenPhilips
Sir Neville Marriner, widely regarded as one of the most prolific musicians in history, has left an indelible mark on the world of classical music. Known for his extensive discography and significant contributions to the art form, Marriner founded the renowned Academy of St
Martin in the Fields, conducted the soundtrack for the 1984 film "Amadeus" and made history as the oldest conductor at the Proms in 2014. He was also honored as a Companion of Honour by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace and has also been acknowledged in France, Germany, and Sweden.
Known and celebrated for his recordings of Baroque music and Mozart, Marriner also created highly-desired recordings of Beethoven's first two symphonies with 'his' Academy of St.
Martin in the Fields - a chapter in his recorded history that is now being gathered together for the first time. The recordings received critical acclaim: "The orchestral detail is beautifully clear. The tempos are all quite moderate: no sentimental slowness, no exaggerated virtuoso rushing. In short, these performances are extremely enjoyable... Excellent recordings throughout" - Gramophone (Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2)
In addition to the symphonies, the set features Marriner's recordings of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, presented in two distinct performances-one with the long-standing leader of the Academy, Iona Brown (herself also a conductor), in January 1980, and another with Gidon Kremer for Philips, who incorporated two of the Schnittke cadenzas into his performance. These were complemented by a disc of a selection of charming Minuets, German Dances, and Contredanses, also for Philips, in 1978. "This is unmistakably her most powerful achievement on record to date … the trueness of Brown's tone is a delight … Like Mutter and Chung, she prefers spacious tempos in the first two movements but then presents the finale at a dashing tempo, classically elegant, a formidable challenge, particularly in the double-stopping. With excellent recorded sound - arguably as fine as the digital sound for the Decca Chung disc, this makes a refreshing addition to a very long list of versions." — Gramophone (Violin Concerto - Iona Brown)
The collection will be presented in its original jackets, offering a nostalgic glimpse into the historical recordings.
REPERTOIRE - LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
CD 1 Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
CD 2 Symphony No. 2 'Eroica'
CD 3 Symphony No. 4; Grosse Fuge
CD 4 Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8
CD 5 Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral'; Overture 'Die Weihe des Hauses'
CD 6 Symphony No. 7; Wellingtons Sieg, Op. 91 'Battle Symphony'
CD 7 Symphony No. 9 'Choral' Karita Mattila · Anne
Sofie von Otter · Francisco Araiza · Samuel Ramey
CD 8 Violin Concerto Iona Brown
CD 9 Violin Concerto Gidon Kremer
CD 10 12 Minuets WoO.7; 12 German Dances WoO.8; 12 Contredanses WoO.14
