Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral"

When Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was released in 1991, it was quickly hailed as a milestone in Beethoven interpretation. Taking the sharp-edged lessons of period instrument performance as a starting point, Harnoncourt’s Ninth with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (using modern instruments) strips away any sense of Romantic grandiloquence. The opening two movements are lean and thrillingly incisive, the “Adagio molto” flowing yet movingly lyrical. Buoyant rhythms define the choral finale, where a gathering sense of joy and liberation is palpable. The playing of the COE is brilliantly light-footed and responsive, adding further to the uniquely fresh impact made by this iconoclastic recording.