Classics today2008afafDavid Hurwitz2008"Now Osmo Vänskä weighs in, completing his already outstanding Beethoven cycle with what may be the best version of them all. It has all of Järvi's vitality, rhythmic edge, and transparency of texture, and it supplies in abundance the one element missing from Fischer's version: sharply etched bass lines".
Politikend. 28. dec. 2014afafThomas Michelsend. 28. dec. 2014"Den seneste cd med 2. og 8. Symfoni er virkelig en stærk præstation ... Gardiners orkester er, som navnet antyder, skabt netop med henblik på musikken fra Beethovens tid på overgangen mellem 1700-og 1800-tallet, og med ét lyder 2. Symfoni, som var det Skæbnesymfonien, der kom ud af højttalerne ... Man sidder tilbage med hjertet i halsen og et nyt syn på to af Beethovens traditionelt set mest oversete symfonier".Læs anmeldelse
Jyllands-postend. 4. jan. 2015afafJens Povlsend. 4. jan. 2015"Der er stadig sprængkraft og en overdådig fornemmelse for musik skrevet på følelsernes store skala hos Gardiner og hans stilsikre periodeorkester. Vel at mærke uden at de to undervurderede symfonier overlæsses det mindste. Tværtimod vinder stramheden i Gardiners korte fraseringer og kvikke temposkift. Balancen mellem det direkte og det gådefulde er eminent".Læs anmeldelse
BBC music magazine2006 JulyafafMichael Tanner (musikanmelder)2006 July"Given the fundamental choice that Haitink has made, which is that it is important to continue the traditions of Beethoven performances which ruled until about 25 years ago, he has almost reached his ideal. The playing of the LSO is nowadays quite magnificent, and they are fully justified in releasing their public performances".
Fono Forum2015 JanuarafafAndreas Friesenhagen2015 Januar"Vurdering: Empfehlung des Monats" - "Gardiner aber zeigt, dass das 'Rundum-Historisieren' noch immer der ehrlichste Weg ist, und ein ästhetisch sehr überzeugender dazu. Zumindst mit einem so brillanten Ensemble wie dem Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique".
BBC music magazine2015 JanuaryafafMisha Donat2015 January"Many of [Beethoven's] markings seem improbably fast, and they have proved to be controversial, to say the least; but John Eliot Gardiner takes them seriously and there are some hair-raisingly quick tempos here ... It's possible to feel that a less sweeping performance would have allowed for more clarity of detail and greater weight, but there's no doubting the visceral excitement of the playing".
BBC music magazine2008 DecemberafafMisha Donat2008 December"Vurdering: BBC music choice" - "These are performances that can hold their own with the best, and the quality of the recording, as it has been throughout the series, is immaculate. Altogether, a superb conclusion to a worthwhile cycle".
The gramophone2006 AugustafafRob Cowan (f. 1948)2006 August"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "Both readings are profoundly satisfying, the work of musicians who know the scores backwards, love playing them and know what not to do. To say that they provide a new benchmark would be crass; but Haitink and the LSO seem set to provide one of the top Beethoven symphony cycles of the digital era".
The gramophone2014 DecemberafafRichard Osborne (f. 1943)2014 December"Gardiner directs a more or less exemplary account of Beethoven's Second Symphony. The outer movements are swift-moving without being overdriven; textures are lean, detail is pertinent ... Gardiner's high-speed performance of the Eighth Symphony is less of a success".
International record review2013 FebruaryafafMichael Jameson2013 February"I wouldn't readily pass over de Billy in favour of either Zinman or Chailly, for to do so would be to miss an ideal opportunity to enjoy one of the least familiar of Brahm's vocal works. Recommended".
The gramophone2013 FebruaryafafNalen Anthoni2013 February"Mildly emaciated sound in some places doesn't detract from a work that's not a failure or debase the overall quality of this unusual coupling".
Optakt2009 01afafJens Cornelius2009 01"Det er spændende, poleret og flot, og Vänskä overfører med forstandighed det drama og den skarphed som et mindre ensemble nemmere kan opnå. Blandt indspilninger med et stort orkester er Vänskäs udgave af Beethovens 2. symfoni den bedste og festligste jeg har hørt, og den 7. symfoni er simpelthen perfekt. Den kan høres igen og igen".
High fidelity (Kbh.)Årg. 41, nr. 8 (2008)afafMogens Wenzel AndreasenÅrg. 41, nr. 8 (2008)"Det er aldeles fremragende. Præcist, vitalt, klangfuldt orkesterspil i en stram og næsten barsk fortolkning af disse to mesterværker ... Vänskä har virkelig et personligt, men også node- og stiltro bud på disse værker ... Mesterværker af det format skal høres i mange forskellig fortolkninger, og Vänskä hører til blandt de særdeles gode".