Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral’

Background:

• Commissioned by the Philharmonic Society of London in 1817. Composed between 1822 and 1824.
• First performed at the Theater am Karntnertor, Vienna, on 7 May 1824, conducted by Michael Umlauf and Ludwig van Beethoven (By then completely deaf).
• Henriette Sontag (soprano), Caroline Unger (contralto), Anton Haizinger (tenor), and Joseph Seipelt (bass/baritone).
• Karntnertor Theater Orchestra, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (the Vienna Music Society), and a select group of capable amateurs.

9 Symphonies (Remastered).
Gwyneth Jones (soprano), Hanna Schwarz (contralto), René Kollo (tenor), Kurt Moll (bass).
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor. Wiener Philharmoniker.
Leonard Bernstein.
Deutsche Grammophon.

Symphonie No. 9.
Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Grace Bumbry (mezzo), Jess Thomas (Tenor), George London (bass). Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele.
Karl Böhm.
Orfeo.
Diapason d’Or (2018): Collectionneur.

The Symphonies.
Katerina Beranova (soprano), Lilli Paasikivi (alto), Robert Dean Smith (tenor) & Hanno Müller-Brachmann (bass). GewandhausChor, GewandhausKinderchor & MDF Rundfunkchor. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
Riccardo Chailly.
DECCA.
Gramophone Magazine (2011): Disc of the Month.
Gramophone Awards (2012): Finalist Orchestral.
Presto Recording of the Week (2012).
Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended.

Complete Symphonies.
Sara Swietlicki (Soprano), Morten Grove Frandsen (Countertenor), Ilker Arcayürek (Tenor), Lars Moller (Baritone). Danish National Concert Choir. Danish Chamber Orchestra.
Adam Fischer.
NAXOS.
Presto Recording of the Week (2019).
Presto Recordings of the Year (2019): Finalist.
International Classical Music Awards (2020): Winner Recording of the Year.
Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Nominee Conductor of the Year.
Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Winner Orchestral (19th Century Music).
Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended.

Symphony No.9.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Elsa Cavelti (mezzo-soprano), Ernst Haefliger (tenor), Otto Edelmann (bass). Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra.
Wilhelm Furtwangler.
Audite.
Gramophone Awards (1995): Winner Historic Non-Vocal.

Symphonie Nr. 9.
Sally Matthews (soprano), Gerhild Romberger Alto), Mark Padmore (tenor), Gerald Finley (bass), Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
Bernard Haitink.
BR Klassik.
Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Nominee Female Singer of the Year (Romberger).
Opus Klassik (2020): Nominee Male Singer of the Year (Padmore).
Opus Klassik (2020): Nominee Conductor of the Year.

Symphonies Nos. 1 – 9.
Charlotte Margiono (soprano), Birgit Remmert (alto), Ridolf Schasching (tenor), Robert Holl (bass). Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Teldec.
Gramophone Magazine: 100 Greatest Recordings.
Gramophone Awards (1992): Recording of the Year.
Radio 3 (2005): Budget Choice.
Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended.

Symphony No. 9 ‘Choral’, Choral Fantasy in C minor op. 80.
Christiane Karg (soprano), Sophie Harmsen (mezzo), Werner Gura (tenor), Florian Boesch (baritone), Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano), Zurcher Sing-Akademie. Freiburger Barockprchester.
Pablo Heras-Casado.
Harmonia Mundi.
BBC Music Magazine (2020): Orchestral Choice.

Symphony No. 9.
Christina Landshamer (soprano), Jennifer Johnson Cano (mezzo-soprano), Werner Güra (tenor), Shenyang (bass-baritone). Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Manfred Honeck.
Reference Recordings.
Radio 3 (2021): Record of the Week.
Granny Awards (2022): Nominee Best Orchestral Performance.
Grammy Awards (2022): Nominee Best Engineered Classical Album.

9 Symphonies.
Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Hilde Rössel-Majdan (contralto), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Walter Berry (bass). Wiener Singverein. Berliner Philharmoniker.
Herbert von Karajan.
Deutsche Grammophon.
Presto Favourites: Recommended Recording.

The 9 Symphonies and Overtures.
Aase Nordmo Løvberg (soprano), Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano), Hans Hotter (bass, contralto), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Birgit Nilsson (soprano). Philharmonia Chorus. Philharmonia Orchestra.
Otto Klemperer.
Warner Classics.
Radio 3 (2009): First Choice.
Presto Recording of the Week (2010)

The Complete Symphonies.
Maria Bengtsson (soprano), Corinna Scheurle (mezzo-soprano), Mauro Peter (tenor), Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass). Collegium Vocale 1704. Kammerakademie Potsdam. Antonello Manacorda.
Sony.
Radio 3 (2024): Building a Library Recommended (Symphony No. 4).

Symphonien 1 – 9.
Annette Dasch (soprano), Eva Vogel (mezzo), Christian Elsner (tenor), Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass). Rundfunkchor Berlin.
Berliner Philharmoniker.
Sir Simon Rattle.
Berliner Philharmoniker.
BBC Music Magazine (2016): Disc of the Month.
Diapason d’Or de l’Annee (2016): Winner Musique Symphonique.
Presto Recording of the Week (2016).
Presto Recordings of the Year (2016): Finalist.

Revolution Volume II. Symphonies 6 & 9.
Sara Gouzy (soprano), Salome Fischer (alto), Mingjie Lei (tenor), Manuel Walser (baritone). La Capella Nacional de Catalunya. Le Concert des Nations.
Jordi Savall.
Alia Vox.
Gramophone Magazine (2022): Recording of the Month.
Gramophone Awards (2022): Finalist Orchestral.
Radio 3 (2022): Building a Library Recommended.
International Classical Music Awards (2023): Nominated Symphonic Music.
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Symphony No. 9.
Ann-Helen Moen (soprano), Marianne Beate Kielland (alto), Allan Clayton (tenor), Neal Davies (bass). Bach Collegium Japan.
Masaaki Suzuki.
BIS.
Presto Recordings of the Year (2019): Finalist.

The Symphonies.
Helena Juntunen (soprano), Katarina Karnéus (mezzo-soprano), Daniel Norman (tenor), Neal Davies (bass-baritone).
Minnesota Chorale. Minnesota Orchestra.
Osmo Vanska.
BIS.
Gramophone Magazine (2006): Editor’s Choice.

Symphony No. 9.
Annemarie Kremer (soprano), Wilke te Brummelstroete (alt), Marcel Reijans (tenor), Geert Smits (baritone). Consensus Vocalis Choir, Klaas Stok (choir conductor). The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.
Jan Willem de Vriend.
Challenge Records.​