About the Album

What you have in your hands is a box with which Challenge Classics intends to make its contribution to the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. It is a unique and completely original collection in the panorama of today’s discography, as it contains the complete corpus of the symphonies as well as all the works for (instrumental) soloist and orchestra, i.e. all the concertos. All the works recorded here are directed by a single conductor, Jan Willem de Vriend, at the head of a single orchestra, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. It becomes clear that this aspect provides a unity, an organic force and therefore an authority that other collections featuring different directors cannot boast. Finally, all the recordings presented here were curated by Bert van der Wolf of Northstar Recording, one of the classical scene’s most innovative and capable sound engineers.

Album Tracks

       Album 1

1. • 1 Symphony No. 4 op. 60 in B flat Major Adagio - Allegro vivace
   
   • 2 Symphony No. 4 op. 60 in B flat Major Adagio
   
   • 3 Symphony No. 4 op. 60 in B flat Major Allegro molto e vivace
   
   • 4 Symphony No. 4 op. 60 in B flat Major Allegro ma non troppo
   
   • 5 Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 (sinfonia pastorale) in F Major (1808) Allegro ma non troppo - Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande im Menschen erwachsen
   
   • 6 Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 (sinfonia pastorale) in F Major (1808) Andante molto moto - Szene am Bach
   
   • 7 Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 (sinfonia pastorale) in F Major (1808) Allegro - Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute
   
   • 8 Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 (sinfonia pastorale) in F Major (1808) Allegro - Donner. Sturm
   
   • 9 Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 (sinfonia pastorale) in F Major (1808) Allegretto - Hirtengesang. Wohltätige, mit Dank an die Gottheit verbundene Gefühle nach dem Sturm

   Album 2
   

   • 1 Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 in C Major (1799/1800) Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
   
   • 2 Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 in C Major (1799/1800) Andante cantabile con moto
   
   • 3 Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 in C Major (1799/1800) Menuetto (Allegro molto e vivace)
   
   • 4 Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 in C Major (1799/1800) Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace
   
   • 5 Symphony No. 5 Op. 67 in c minor (1808) Allegro con brio
   
   • 6 Symphony No. 5 Op. 67 in c minor (1808) Andante con moto
   
   • 7 Symphony No. 5 Op. 67 in c minor (1808) Allegro
   
   • 8 Symphony No. 5 Op. 67 in c minor (1808) Allegro
   

   Album 3
   

   • 1 Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 in A Major (1811/12) Poco sostenuto – Vivace
   
   • 2 Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 in A Major (1811/12) Allegretto
   
   • 3 Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 in A Major (1811/12) Presto
   
   • 4 Symphony No. 7 Op. 92 in A Major (1811/12) Allegro con brio
   
   • 5 Symphony No. 8 Op. 93 in F Major (1812) Allegro vivace e con brio
   
   • 6 Symphony No. 8 Op. 93 in F Major (1812) Allegretto scherzando
   
   • 7 Symphony No. 8 Op. 93 in F Major (1812) Tempo di Menuetto
   
   • 8 Symphony No. 8 Op. 93 in F Major (1812) Allegro vivace
   

   Album 4

   • 1 Symphony No. 2 Op. 36 in D Major (1801) Adagio – Allegro con brio
   
   • 2 Symphony No. 2 Op. 36 in D Major (1801) Larghetto
   
   • 3 Symphony No. 2 Op. 36 in D Major (1801) Scherzo: Allegro
   
   • 4 Symphony No. 2 Op. 36 in D Major (1801) Allegro molto
   
   • 5 Symphony No. 3 Op. 55 in E-flat Major “Eroica” (1803/4) Allegro con brio
   
   • 6 Symphony No. 3 Op. 55 in E-flat Major “Eroica” (1803/4) Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
   
   • 7 Symphony No. 3 Op. 55 in E-flat Major “Eroica” (1803/4) Scherzo: Allegro vivace
   
   • 8 Symphony No. 3 Op. 55 in E-flat Major “Eroica” (1803/4) Finale: Allegro molto
   

   Album 5

   • 1 Symphony No. 9 Op. 125 in d minor (1824) Allegro ma non troppo e un poco maestoso
   
   • 2 Symphony No. 9 Op. 125 in d minor (1824) Molto vivace
   
   • 3 Symphony No. 9 Op. 125 in d minor (1824) Adagio molto e cantabile
   
   • 4 Symphony No. 9 Op. 125 in d minor (1824) Finale: Presto
   

   Album 6

   • 1 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat Major Op. 19 Allegro con brio
   
   • 2 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat Major Op. 19 Adagio
   
   • 3 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat Major Op. 19 Rondo: Allegro molto
   
   • 4 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15 Allegro con brio
   
   • 5 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15 Largo
   
   • 6 Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15 Rondo: Allegro
   

   Album 7

   • 1 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 Allegro con brio
   
   • 2 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 Largo
   
   • 3 Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 Rondo: Allegro
   
   • 4 Concerto for violin, cello and piano in C major op. 56 (1803) “Triple Concerto” Allegro
   
   • 5 Concerto for violin, cello and piano in C major op. 56 (1803) “Triple Concerto” Largo (attacca)
   
   • 6 Concerto for violin, cello and piano in C major op. 56 (1803) “Triple Concerto” Rondo alla polacca
   

   Album 8

   • 1 Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 58 in G Major (1807) Allegro moderato
   
   • 2 Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 58 in G Major (1807) Andante con moto
   
   • 3 Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 58 in G Major (1807) Rondo. Vivace
   
   • 4 Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 in E flat Major (‘Emperor’) (1809) Allegro
   
   • 5 Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 in E flat Major (‘Emperor’) (1809) Adagio un poco mosso
   
   • 6 Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 in E flat Major (‘Emperor’) (1809) Rondo. Allegro
   

   Album 9

   • 1 Violin Concerto Op. 61 in D Major (1806) Allegro ma non troppo
   
   • 2 Violin Concerto Op. 61 in D Major (1806) Larghetto
   
   • 3 Violin Concerto Op. 61 in D Major (1806) Rondo (Allegro)
   
   • 4 Violin Romance No. 1 Op. 40 in G Major (ca. 1802)
   
   • 5 Violin Romance No. 2 Op. 50 in F Major (1805)