Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe here, the same orchestra with which
Harnoncourt recorded a much-discussed
Beethoven symphony cycle in 1991. Now it is Yannick Nézet-Séguin who, more than 30 years later, makes history by being the first to use the new Beethoven edition by Breitkopf & Härtel (after the Urtext edition by Henle Verlag). Especially for the Ninth Symphony,
… this matters. For example, here we hear for the first time a part for contrabassoon, which has only recently resurfaced. Also the text placement in the choral finale of the Ninth listens closely, see the notes in the booklet. Unfortunately, the Fifth Symphony's inset (pa-pa-pa-paam) is not explained in any detail. Nézet-Séguin ignores the fermata (in this case a prolonged rest) that makes this iconic entry so exciting. Nevertheless, a beautifully streamlined performance, as if Nézet-Séguin wanted to be even more "authentic" than Harnoncourt was at the time. (HJ)more
