Symphony no. 7 in A major, op. 92

"Ivan Fischer's Beethoven Seventh surely ranks with the best among recent performances ... That said, the couplings are a puzzle. I like the idea of pairing Beethoven with his contemporaries, and the Rossini overture sounds brilliant, but why only single movements from the Weber and Wilms pieces? Either give us complete works, or find another concept that can be accommodated on a single disc ... Fine as the performances are, it's difficult to see who will want this disc beyond Beethoven symphony specialists, and more's the pity".

"Den græske dirigent Teodor Currentzis, der opbyggede sin musikalske karriere gennem 15 år i Rusland med sit eget orkester, MusikAeterna, forstår Beethovens 7. symfoni som en genspejling af klassisk arkitektur. Som rette linjer, symmetri, ensartede byggesten og lange forløb af kridhvide søjler - med fokus på rytmiske mønstre, præcision og puls ... Der var kritik af Teodor Currentzis og hans version af Beethovens 5. symfoni, da den kom ud for et par år siden - at dirigentens fokus på præcision og rette linjer imusikken gik ud over poesien og sangen i melodierne ... Hos Currentzis træder kunsten frem i streng arkitektur og med vilde eksplosioner af information, og for lyttere, der elsker det romantiske kæmpeorkester med brede vibrerende klangflader, er hans blik på Beethoven stærkt kontroversielt og virker måske endda helt umusikalsk. Jeg synes, at det er voldsomt imponerende, det, der foregår ... Vi får denne gang Beethovens symfoni sitrende af dramatisk nerve - som om det var et lille kammerorkester, der kommunikerede tæt - samtidig med at musikken folder sig ud i store imposante udtryk".

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"The whole thing has as much character as one could hope for [Triple concerto] ... A blazing performance of the Seventh Symphony, which reaches a superbly disciplined and frenzied conclusion".

"Iván Fischer presents Beethoven's Seventh in the context of other works composed or performed around the time of its premiere on 8 December 1813 ... The recording is first-class, too, though the balance could have placed greater emphasis on the timpani and horns, which contribute so strongly to the work's distinctive sonority".

"Die Aufnahme bietet insgesamt eine Reihe von Vorzügen, von packender Passagen und exquisiten Detailbeobachtungen, doch ob das reicht, um von grundlegenden neuen Einsichten zu sprechen, wird sich erst zeigen, wenn der Zyklus in die Zielgerade einbiegt".

"Orchestral choice: Throughout, rather than adopting a headlong interpretative profile, Currentzis inflects Beethoven's indelible invention with an at times startling range of articulation that bristles with spontaneous relish. Rather than cossetting us in a warm bath of reassuring musical semantics, Currentzis offers up a bracing, tingling cold shower".