Beethoven Odyssey - CD

Ludwig van Beethoven: Beethoven Odyssey version on 12CD in Standard edition. This particular edition was published in Europe in publishing company Decca on 28. April 2021.

The great Beethoven conductor of his generation is presented in this set of 12 CDs of Sir Colin Davis's London Beethoven recordings, compiled for the first time in a box set. When Colin Davis became Principal Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1967, the orchestra was known for the BBC Proms, which specialised in new music, and especially as a radio orchestra. With this series of Beethoven recordings, the orchestra entered the commercial mainstream and proved itself to be the equal of other top orchestras, thanks in part to Davis's lavish sonic sophistication. Already the 1961 recording of the Symphony No. 7 with Beecham's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra had met with great critical acclaim, but Davis's 1976 reworking with the LSO proved that the early recording's buoyant fire was no accident. The Five Piano Concertos with Stephen Kovacevich quickly became a staple of the Philips catalogue, but the symphonic recordings soon outlived their usefulness: here they are reassembled for the first time and have received remastering, as have some of the overtures. It is possible to compare the 'young firebrand' Davis and his quieter middle-aged self in two performances of the Pastorale: with the LSO in 1962 (from the same sessions as the unreleased second Leonore overture) and with the BBC SO in July 1974. It was only when he became chief conductor of the BR Symphony Orchestra in Munich that he was able to record his first 9th Overture in 1985. Of particular interest here is the flexible articulation that was Davis's speciality and distinguishes his interpretation from the German Romantic tradition in this repertoire. This is the most complete compilation of Davis's 'London Beethoven' ever published.

Album spans genres Classical and Romantic.