Roger Norrington conducts Beethoven Symphony #3
While this recording is not recent, I heard it the other day, and the performance *really* got my attention. Here were the London Chamber Players under Norrington’s direction, and the experience was – for me unique: It was as though an old painting had been restored; As though an old masterpiece had gone through a cleaning. There were aspects of this music that were new to me! I heard inner voices in the orchestration that were very exciting.
The pace/speed of some of the movements of Beethoven’s Eroica were astounding! Norrington delivered an amazing, exciting performance that I just loved! For me, Beethoven was saying from the grave: “Yea… that’s the way to play that piece!”
While metronome markings are given for each movement, many conductors have for the past 100 years taken notorious liberties with tempi. Occasionally, when played slower, one could also hear some new content. But in the Norrington performance, the pace is rapid, and the drama and excitement reigns.
Overall this recording is highly recommended. While the image you are seeing is of the collection of all 9 of the symphonies, I heard only the Symphony #3.
For an interesting, exciting experience in listening, this recording is highly recommended.
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