Beethoven’s euphoric Symphony No 9, like his No 5, is one of those pieces of classical music which transcends the barrier between musical genres—one of the few works of the classical canon to be firmly rooted in the 'popular' consciousness. Who can fail to be uplifted and caught up in the joyous Ode to Joy finale? For this performance, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1994, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was joined by the renowned conductor and long-time collaborator, Sir Charles Mackerras.
The Mail on Sunday'This is a performance on period instruments by a chamber orchestra, but that is not to say that the sound lacks body: 44 string players are listed and the woodwind section is doubled. The OAE's playi ...
'No composer has grappled so vigorously with the fundamental physics of harmony as Beethoven does in his first movement, then delivered on such a humane and joyful finale … Mackerras's account ha ...