Composers: Beethoven
Compositions: Symphonies
Performers: Vienna Philharmonic/Andris Nelsons Catalogue Number: DG 4837071 (5CD)

A new recorded cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies is bound to make you wonder anew at the music’s seemingly eternal power and relevance. Through myriad changes in intellectual fashion, through performance practices ranging from the high cholesterol to the HIP, from university professors to those among us who aren’t sure how to pronounce the composer’s surname, these symphonies have been – and continue to be – consoling, uplifting and inspiring. The 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth next year will give us many more opportunities to reflect on his legacy.