Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8 (Live) Wiener Symphoniker & Philippe Jordan

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral":
• 1 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Country. Allegro ma non troppo (Live) 11:06
• 2 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": II. Scene by the Brook. Andante molto mosso (Live) 12:00
• 3 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk. Allegro (Live) 05:32
• 4 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm. Allegro (Live) 03:16
• 5 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": V. Shepherd's Song. Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm. Allegretto (Live) 09:39
• Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93:
• 6 Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio (Live) 08:11
• 7 Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando (Live) 03:54
• 8 Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: III. Tempo di menuetto (Live) 04:42
• 9 Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: IV. Allegro vivace (Live) 07:02
• Total Runtime 01:05:22

Info for Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8 (Live)

This recording is the continuation of the orchestra’s Road to Beethoven project, an undertaking in preparation of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Viennese by choice and patriarch of classical music in 2020. Following the huge success of the respective releases of the cycle so far, the expectations are high indeed. The third part featuring Symphonies No. 2 and 7 received numerous accolades and ranked high in the annual best lists of international critics. The German classical music magazine Concerti, for instance, praised: “There, Philippe Jordan with the Wiener Symphoniker succeeded in creating something amazing: The symbiosis of the fine Viennese sound and the directness and transparency of historical performance practice, dynamically flexible and driven by emphasis.” The Wiener Symphoniker wrote music history with the premieres of works by Bruckner, Ravel and Schönberg. Under the direction of such illustrious conductors as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini or Georges Prêtre, it gained worldwide fame for its Viennese sound style. In light of this more than hundred-year magnificent history, it is all the more astonishing that the Orchestra has never so far recorded Beethoven’s nine symphonies, which are often described as the peak of the symphonic repertoire.

This gap in the Orchestra’s discography has been in the process of being closed since autumn 2017: The Orchestra is releasing all nine symphonies of the great Viennese by choice at half-yearly intervals on a total of five CDs. The whole cycle will then be available on the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in 2020. They were recorded live under the direction of Music Director Philippe Jordan in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein.

Wiener Symphoniker
Philippe Jordan, Dirigent

Philippe Jordan
has already established himself as one of the most gifted and exciting conductors of his generation. At present, he is Music Director of the Opéra National de Paris and Music Director of the Wiener Symphoniker.Philippe Jordan’s musical education began with piano lessons at the age of six. At the age of eight, he joined the Zurich Sängerknaben and he was eleven when he began studying violin. At sixteen, he entered the Zurich Conservatory where he obtained his diploma of piano teacher with honors. He studied theory and composition with the Swiss composer Hans Ulrich Lehmann and continued his piano studies with Karl Engel. At the same time, he worked as assistant to Maestro Jeffrey Tate on Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Châtelet in Paris. He continues to appear occasionally as pianist in recital and chamber music. His career began in 1994–95 as Kapellmeister of the Ulm Stadttheater. From 1998–2001, he was assistant to Daniel Barenboim at the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin. From 2001–04, he held the position of Chief Conductor of the Graz Opera and Graz Philharmonic Orchestra. In this period he made his debut at several prestigious international opera houses and festivals, the Houston Grand Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Metropolitan Opera New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Teatro alla Scala, the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, the Salzburger Festspiele (Cosi fan tutte), the Wiener Staatsoper, the Festspielhaus Baden Baden (Tannhäuser) and the Bayreuth Festival (Parsifal). From 2006–10, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Berlin Staatsoper unter den Linden. Highlights of previous seasons include his opera debut at the Teatro alla Scala (Der Rosenkavalier). Philippe Jordan’s orchestral engagements have included the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Staatskapelle, Vienna RSO, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tonhalle Zurich, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, NDR/Hamburg Symphony, DSO Berlin, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Rotterdam Phil- harmonic Orchestra and the Munchner Philharmoniker. In North America, he has appeared with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Washington, Minnesota, Montreal, New York and San Francisco.

Wiener Symphoniker
As Vienna’s cultural ambassador and premier concert orchestra, the Wiener Symphoniker handles the lion’s share of symphonic activity that makes up the musical life of the city. The preservation of the traditional, Viennese orchestral sound occupies a central role in the orchestra’s many artistic pursuits. The Wiener Symphoniker is one of Europe’s most prestigious ensembles and boasts 128 members. For this reason, the orchestra is precisely the right vehicle for the great Romantic works of Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler and Richard Strauss that constitute its core repertoire.

The Vienna Musikverein and nearby Konzerthaus are the principal performing venues of the Wiener Symphoniker. The orchestra has also been in residence at the Bregenzer Festspiele since 1946 and continues to maintain close ties to the festival. Beginning in 2006, the orchestra added another feather to its cap: The Wiener Symphoniker now serves as resident opera orchestra for a whole host of stylistically diverse productions taking place at the Theater an der Wien. Periodic international tours to the most important music centers round out the extensive portfolio of this traditional, Viennese orchestra.

Booklet for Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8 (Live)