Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Adagio molto - allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Andante cantabile con moto
3. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Menuetto
4. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Finale: adagio - allegro molto e vivace
5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: Allegro con brio
6. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: Marcia funebre
7. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: Scherzo
8. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Eroica'), Op. 55: Finale

Disc 2:

1. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: Adagio molto - allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: Larghetto
3. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: Scherzo
4. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36: Allegro molto
5. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: Poco sostenuto - vivace
6. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: Allegretto
7. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: Presto - assai meno presto
8. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92: Allegro con brio

Disc 3:

1. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande - allegro
2. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: Szene am Bach - andante molto mosso
3. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute - allegro
4. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: Gewitter, Sturm - allegro
5. Symphony No. 6 in F major ('Pastoral'), Op. 68: Hirtengesang, frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm - allegretto
6. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: Allegro vivace e con brio
7. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: Allegretto scherzando
8. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: Tempo di Menuetto
9. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: Allegro vivace

Disc 4:

1. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: Adagio - Allegro vivace
2. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: Adagio
3. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: Allegro vivace
4. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60: Allegro ma non troppo
5. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: Allegro con brio
6. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: Andante con moto
7. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: Allegro
8. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: Allegro

Disc 5:

1. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Scherzo, molto vivace
3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Adagio molto e cantabile
4. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Presto, recitativo: O Freunde, nicht diese Töne
5. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral'), Op. 125: Allegro assai: Chorus

Disc 6:

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15: Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15: Largo
3. Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15: Rondo, allegro scherzando
4. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Allegro con brio
5. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Largo
6. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Rondo, allegro

Disc 7:

1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19: Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19: Adagio
3. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19: Rondo, molto allegro
4. Piano Concerto in D major (after the Violin Concerto, Op. 61), Op. 61a: Allegro ma non troppo
5. Piano Concerto in D major (after the Violin Concerto, Op. 61), Op. 61a: Larghetto
6. Piano Concerto in D major (after the Violin Concerto, Op. 61), Op. 61a: Rondo, allegro

Disc 8:

1. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58: Allegro moderato
2. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58: Andante con moto
3. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58: Rondo, vivace
4. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major ('Emperor'), Op. 73: Allegro
5. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major ('Emperor'), Op. 73: Adagio un poco mosso
6. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major ('Emperor'), Op. 73: Rondo, allegro

Disc 9:

1. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Allegro non troppo
2. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Larghetto
3. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Rondo
4. Romance for violin & orchestra No. 1 in G major, Op. 40
5. Romance for violin & orchestra No. 2 in F major, Op. 50

Disc 10:

1. Concerto for piano, violin, cello & orchestra in C major ('Triple Concerto'), Op. 56: Allegro
2. Concerto for piano, violin, cello & orchestra in C major ('Triple Concerto'), Op. 56: Largo
3. Concerto for piano, violin, cello & orchestra in C major ('Triple Concerto'), Op. 56: Rondo alla Polacca
4. Piano Concerto in E flat major, WoO 4: Allegro moderato
5. Piano Concerto in E flat major, WoO 4: Larghetto
6. Piano Concerto in E flat major, WoO 4: Rondo, allegretto
7. Rondo for piano & orchestra in B flat major, WoO 6

Disc 11:

1. Leonore Overture No. 1 in C major, Op. 138
2. Leonore Overture No. 2 in C major, Op. 72a
3. Leonore Overture No. 3 in C major, Op. 72b
4. Fidelio, overture, Op. 72c
5. Leonore Prohaska, incidental music, WoO 96: Funeral March
6. Die Weihe des Hauses (Consecration of the House), overture for orchestra, Op. 124
7. Wo sich die Pulse jugendlich jagen (for the play 'Die Weihe des Hauses'), chorus with soprano solo, WoO 98

Disc 12:

1. Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
2. Wellington's Victory, for orchestra, Op. 91: Schlacht (Battle)
3. Wellington's Victory, for orchestra, Op. 91: Sieges-Symphonie (Symphony of Triumph)
4. Namensfeier (Name-Day Celebration) Overture for orchestra in C major, Op. 115
5. Gratulations-Menuet for orchestra in E flat major, WoO 3
6. Triumphal march in C for 'Tarpeja,' for orchestra, WoO 2a
7. Fugue for organ in D major, WoO 31
8. Pieces (5) for musical clock, WoO 33: Allegro non più molto
9. Pieces (5) for musical clock, WoO 33: Allegretto
10. Pieces (5) for musical clock, WoO 33: Adagio assai
11. Pieces (5) for musical clock, WoO 33: Scherzo, allegro
12. Pieces (5) for musical clock, WoO 33: Allegro
13. Grenadier March for mechanical clock in F major, Hess 107

Disc 13:

1. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 1 in C major
2. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 2 in A major
3. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 3 in D major
4. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 4 in B flat major
5. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 5 in E flat major
6. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 6 in C major
7. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 7 in E flat major
8. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 8 in C major
9. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 9 in A major
10. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 10 in C major
11. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 11 in G major
12. Contredanses (12) for orchestra, WoO14: No. 12 in E flat major
13. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 1 in E flat major
14. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 2 in G major
15. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 3 in C major
16. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 4 in F major
17. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 5 in D major
18. Minuets (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 9: No. 6 in G major
19. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 1 Waltz in E flat major
20. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 2 Minuet in B flat major
21. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 3 Waltz in B flat major
22. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 4 Minuet in E flat major
23. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 5 Minuet in E flat major
24. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 6 Ländler in E flat major
25. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 7 Minuet in B flat major
26. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 8 Ländler in B flat major
27. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 9 Minuet in G major
28. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 10 Waltz in D major
29. Mödlinger Tänze (11) for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 violins & double bass, WoO 17: No. 11 Waltz in D major
30. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 1 in D major
31. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 2 in D major
32. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 3 in D major
33. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 4 in D minor
34. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 5 in D major
35. Ländler (6) for 2 violins & double bass, WoO 15: No. 6 in D major
36. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 1 in C major
37. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 2 in A major
38. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 3 in F major
39. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 4 in B flat major
40. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 5 in E flat major
41. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 6 in G major
42. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 7 in C major
43. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 8 in A major
44. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 9 in F major
45. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 10 in D major
46. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 11 in G major
47. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 8: No. 12 in C major

Disc 14:

1. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In D major
2. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In B flat major
3. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In G major
4. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In E flat major
5. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In C major
6. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In A major
7. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In D major
8. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In B flat major
9. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In G major
10. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In E flat major
11. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In C major
12. Minuets (12) for orchestra, WoO 7: In F major
13. March for wind ensemble in D major, WoO 24
14. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In C major
15. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In G major
16. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In E flat major
17. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In B flat major
18. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In D major
19. Minuets (6) for piano (or orchestra), WoO 10: In C major
20. German Dances (6) for violin & piano, WoO 42
21. Écossaise militaire, for wind band in G major, WoO 23
22. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 1
23. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 2
24. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 3
25. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 4
26. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 5
27. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 6
28. Ländler (7) for piano (all in D major), WoO 11: No. 7
29. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In D major
30. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In B flat major
31. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In G major
32. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In D major
33. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In F major
34. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In B flat major
35. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In D major
36. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In G major
37. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In E flat major
38. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In C major
39. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In A major
40. German Dances (12) for orchestra, WoO 13: In D major

Disc 15:

1. Octet for winds in E flat major, Op. 103: Allegro
2. Octet for winds in E flat major, Op. 103: Andante
3. Octet for winds in E flat major, Op. 103: Menuetto
4. Octet for winds in E flat major, Op. 103: Finale, presto
5. Rondo for wind octet in E flat major ('Rondino'), WoO 25
6. Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns & 2 bassoons in E flat major, Op. 71: Adagio-allegro
7. Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns & 2 bassoons in E flat major, Op. 71: Adagio
8. Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns & 2 bassoons in E flat major, Op. 71: Menuetto, quasi allegretto
9. Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns & 2 bassoons in E flat major, Op. 71: Rondo, allegro
10. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 1 in C major. Allegro comodo
11. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 1 in C major. Larghetto sostenuto
12. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 1 in C major. Rondo, allegretto
13. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 2 in F major. Allegro affettuoso
14. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 2 in F major. Aria (larghetto)
15. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 2 in F major. Rondo, allegretto moderato
16. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 3 in B flat major. Allegro sostenuto
17. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 3 in B flat major. Aria con variazioni
18. Duos (3) for clarinet & bassoon, WoO 27: No. 3 in B flat major. Allegro assai

Disc 16:

1. March for wind ensemble in F major, ('Für die Böhmische Landwehr'), WoO 18
2. March for wind ensemble in C major, WoO 20
3. March for wind ensemble in F major, WoO 19
4. Polonaise for wind ensemble in D major, WoO 21
5. Ecossaise for wind ensemble in D major, WoO 22
6. March for wind ensemble in B flat major, WoO 29
7. Quintet for oboe, 3 horns & bassoon in E flat major, Hess 19: Allegro
8. Quintet for oboe, 3 horns & bassoon in E flat major, Hess 19: Adagio maestoso
9. Quintet for oboe, 3 horns & bassoon in E flat major, Hess 19: Minuetto
10. Adagio for 3 horns in F major, Hess 297
11. Equali (3) for 4 trombones, WoO 30: Andante
12. Equali (3) for 4 trombones, WoO 30: Poco adagio
13. Equali (3) for 4 trombones, WoO 30: Poco sostenuto
14. Trio for 2 oboes & English horn in C major, Op. 87: Allegro
15. Trio for 2 oboes & English horn in C major, Op. 87: Adagio
16. Trio for 2 oboes & English horn in C major, Op. 87: Minuetto
17. Trio for 2 oboes & English horn in C major, Op. 87: Finale
18. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Theme
19. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 1
20. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 2
21. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 3
22. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 4 & 5
23. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 6
24. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 7
25. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Variation 8
26. Variations for 2 oboes & English horn in C major on Mozart's 'La ci darem,' WoO 28: Coda
27. Duo for 2 flutes (or flute & violin) in G major, WoO 26: Allegro con brio
28. Duo for 2 flutes (or flute & violin) in G major, WoO 26: Menuetto quasi allegretto

Disc 17:

1. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Entrata-allegro
2. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto
3. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Molto allegro
4. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Andante con variazioni
5. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Allegro, scherzando e vivace
6. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Adagio
7. Serenade for flute & piano in D major (arr. of Serenade, Op. 25), Op. 41: Allegro vivace
8. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Scottish Air in G major
9. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Scottish Air in C minor
10. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Austrian Air in C major
11. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Scottish Air in E flat major
12. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Scottish Air in E flat major
13. National Airs (6) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 105: Scottish Air in D major
14. Duo for 2 flutes (or flute & violin) in G major, WoO 26: Allegro con brio
15. Duo for 2 flutes (or flute & violin) in G major, WoO 26: Minuetto quasi allegro
16. Trio for piano, flute & bassoon in G major, WoO 37: Allegro
17. Trio for piano, flute & bassoon in G major, WoO 37: Adagio
18. Trio for piano, flute & bassoon in G major, WoO 37: Thema andante con variazioni

Disc 18:

1. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Tyrolian Air in E flat major
2. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in F major
3. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Russian Air in G major
4. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in F major
5. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Tyrolian Air in F major
6. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in E flat major
7. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Russian Air in A minor
8. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in D major
9. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in E flat major
10. National Airs (10) with variations for flute/violin & piano, Op. 107: Scottish Air in G minor
11. Trio for 3 flutes in G major: Allegro
12. Trio for 3 flutes in G major: Andante
13. Trio for 3 flutes in G major: Rondo, allegretto
14. Sonata for flute & piano in B flat major, Kinsky-Halm Anh 4: Allegro moderato
15. Sonata for flute & piano in B flat major, Kinsky-Halm Anh 4: Polonaise
16. Sonata for flute & piano in B flat major, Kinsky-Halm Anh 4: Largo
17. Sonata for flute & piano in B flat major, Kinsky-Halm Anh 4: Allegretto tema con variazione

Disc 19:

1. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Adagio-allegro con brio
2. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Adagio cantabile
3. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Tempo di minuetto
4. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Tema con variazioni: andante
5. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Scherzo, allegro molto e vivace
6. Septet for strings & woodwinds in E flat major, Op. 20: Andante con moto alla marcia-presto
7. Sextet for 2 horns & string quartet in E flat major, Op. 81b: Allegro con brio
8. Sextet for 2 horns & string quartet in E flat major, Op. 81b: Adagio
9. Sextet for 2 horns & string quartet in E flat major, Op. 81b: Rondo, allegro

Disc 20:

1. Quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn & bassoon in E flat major, Op. 16: Grave-allegro ma non troppo
2. Quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn & bassoon in E flat major, Op. 16: Andante cantabile
3. Quintet for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn & bassoon in E flat major, Op. 16: Rondo, allegro ma non troppo
4. Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello & piano No. 4 in B flat major ('Gassenhauer'), Op. 11: Allegro con brio
5. Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello & piano No. 4 in B flat major ('Gassenhauer'), Op. 11: Adagio
6. Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello & piano No. 4 in B flat major ('Gassenhauer'), Op. 11: Allegretto, variations on "Pria ch'io l'
7. Sonata for horn & piano in F major, Op. 17: Allegro moderato
8. Sonata for horn & piano in F major, Op. 17: Poco adagio, quasi andante
9. Sonata for horn & piano in F major, Op. 17: Rondo, allegro moderato

Disc 21:

1. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Adagio-allegro con brio
2. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Adagio cantabile
3. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Tempo di Minuetto
4. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Tema con variazioni, andante
5. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Scherzo, allegro molto e vivace
6. Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin) & cello in E flat major (arr. of septet, Op. 20), Op. 38: Andante con moto alla marcia-presto
7. Variations for violin & piano in F major on 'Se vuol ballare' from Mozart's 'Le nozze di Figaro,' WoO 40

Disc 22:

1. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Entrata, allegro
2. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto
3. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Allegro molto
4. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Andante con variazioni
5. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Allegro scherzando e vivace
6. Serenade for flute, violin & viola in D major, Op. 25: Adagio-allegro vivace disinvolto
7. Rondo for violin & piano in G major, WoO 41
8. Piano Trio in E flat major ('Allegretto'), Hess 48
9. Adagio for piano & mandolin in E flat major, WoO 43/2
10. Sonatina for mandolin & piano in C major, WoO 44/1
11. Sonatina for mandolin & piano in C minor, WoO 43/1
12. Andante and variations for mandolin & piano in D major, WoO 44/2: Andante
13. Andante and variations for mandolin & piano in D major, WoO 44/2: Variazioni 1-6

Disc 23:

1. Piano Quartet No. 3 in C major, WoO 36/3: Allegro vivace
2. Piano Quartet No. 3 in C major, WoO 36/3: Adagio con espressione
3. Piano Quartet No. 3 in C major, WoO 36/3: Rondo, allegro
4. Piano Quartet No. 1 in E flat major, WoO 36/1: Adagio assai-allegro con spirito
5. Piano Quartet No. 1 in E flat major, WoO 36/1: Tema con variazioni
6. Piano Quartet No. 2 in D major, WoO 36/2: Allegro moderato
7. Piano Quartet No. 2 in D major, WoO 36/2: Andante con moto
8. Piano Quartet No. 2 in D major, WoO 36/2: Rondo, allegro

Disc 24:

1. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 1/1: Allegro
2. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 1/1: Adagio cantabile
3. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 1/1: Scherzo
4. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 1/1: Finale, presto
5. Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1/2: Adagio - allegro vivace
6. Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1/2: Largo con espressione
7. Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1/2: Scherzo, allegro
8. Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1/2: Finale, presto

Disc 25:

1. Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1/3: Allegro con brio
2. Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1/3: Andante cantabile con variazioni
3. Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1/3: Menuetto, quasi allegro
4. Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1/3: Finale, prestissimo
5. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Allegretto'), WoO 39: Allegro moderato
6. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Allegretto'), WoO 39: Scherzo, allegro ma non troppo
7. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Allegretto'), WoO 39: Rondo, allegretto
8. Piano Trio in G major ('Kakadu Variations'), Op. 121a

Disc 26:

1. Piano Trio in D major ('Ghost'), Op. 70/1: Allegro vivace e con brio
2. Piano Trio in D major ('Ghost'), Op. 70/1: Largo assai ed con espressione
3. Piano Trio in D major ('Ghost'), Op. 70/1: Presto
4. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70/2: Poco sostenuto - allegro ma non troppo
5. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70/2: Allegretto
6. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70/2: Allegretto ma non troppo
7. Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 70/2: Finale, allegro

Disc 27:

1. Piano Trio in E flat major, WoO 38
2. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Archduke'), Op. 97: Allegro moderato
3. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Archduke'), Op. 97: Allegretto
4. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Archduke'), Op. 97: Andante cantabile, ma pero con moto
5. Piano Trio in B flat major ('Archduke'), Op. 97: Finale, allegro
6. Piano Trio in E flat major ('14 Variations on an Original Theme'), Op. 44

Disc 28:

1. Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1: Adagio sostenuto - allegro
2. Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1: Rondo, allegro vivace
3. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2: Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo
4. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2: Allegro molto piu tosto presto
5. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2: Rondo, allegro
6. Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69: Allegro ma non tanto
7. Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69: Scherzo, allegro molto
8. Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69: Adagio cantabile - allegro vivace

Disc 29:

1. Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1: Adagio - allegro vivace
2. Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1: Adagio - tempo d'antante - allegro vivace
3. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2: Allegro con brio
4. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2: Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto
5. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2: Allegro - allegro fugato
6. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Thema, allegretto
7. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 1
8. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 2
9. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 3
10. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 4
11. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 5
12. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 6
13. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 7
14. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 8
15. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 9
16. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 10
17. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 11: adagio
18. Variations for cello & piano in G major on Handel's 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes,' WoO 45: Variation 12: allegro
19. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Thema, allegretto
20. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 1
21. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 2
22. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 3
23. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 4
24. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 5
25. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 6
26. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 7
27. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 8
28. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 9
29. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 10: adagio
30. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 11: Poco adagio, quasi andante
31. Variations for cello & piano in F major on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen,' Op. 66: Variation 12: allegro
32. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Thema, andante
33. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 1
34. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 2
35. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 3
36. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 4
37. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 5: si prenda il tempo un poco
38. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 6: adagio
39. Variations for cello & piano in E flat major on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,' WoO 46: Variation 7: Allegro ma non troppo

Disc 30:

1. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 12/1: Allegro con brio
2. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 12/1: Tema con variazioni (Andante con moto)
3. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 12/1: Rondo, allegro
4. Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 12/2: Allegro vivace
5. Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 12/2: Andante piu tosto allegretto
6. Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 12/2: Allegretto piacevole
7. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12/3: Allegro con spirito
8. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12/3: Adagio con molt'espressione
9. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12/3: Rondo, allegro molto
10. Sonata for violin & piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23: Presto
11. Sonata for violin & piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23: Andante scherzoso, piu allegretto
12. Sonata for violin & piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23: Allegro molto

Disc 31:

1. Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ('Spring'), Op. 24: Allegro
2. Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ('Spring'), Op. 24: Adagio molto espressivo
3. Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ('Spring'), Op. 24: Scherzo, allegro molto
4. Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ('Spring'), Op. 24: Rondo, allegretto ma non troppo
5. Sonata for violin & piano No. 6 in A major, Op. 30/1: Allegro
6. Sonata for violin & piano No. 6 in A major, Op. 30/1: Adagio
7. Sonata for violin & piano No. 6 in A major, Op. 30/1: Allegretto con variazioni
8. Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor ('Eroica'), Op. 30/2: Allegro con brio
9. Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor ('Eroica'), Op. 30/2: Adagio cantabile
10. Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor ('Eroica'), Op. 30/2: Scherzo, allegro
11. Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor ('Eroica'), Op. 30/2: Finale, allegro

Disc 32:

1. Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3: Allegro assai
2. Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3: Tempo di menuetto
3. Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3: Allegro vivace
4. Sonata for violin & piano No. 9 in A major ('Kreutzer'), Op. 47: Adagio sostenuto - presto
5. Sonata for violin & piano No. 9 in A major ('Kreutzer'), Op. 47: Andante con variazioni
6. Sonata for violin & piano No. 9 in A major ('Kreutzer'), Op. 47: Finale, presto
7. Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major ('The Cockcrow'), Op. 96: Allegro moderato
8. Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major ('The Cockcrow'), Op. 96: Adagio espressivo
9. Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major ('The Cockcrow'), Op. 96: Scherzo, allegro
10. Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major ('The Cockcrow'), Op. 96: Poco allegretto

Disc 33:

1. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Allegro con brio
2. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Andante
3. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Menuetto, allegro
4. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Adagio
5. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Menuetto, moderato
6. Trio for violin, viola & cello in E flat major, Op. 3: Finale, allegro
7. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Marcia, allegro
8. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Adagio
9. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Menuetto, allegretto
10. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Adagio - scherzo, allegro
11. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Allegretto alla Polacca
12. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Andante quasi allegretto - variations 1-4 - allegro
13. Serenade for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 8: Marcia, allegro

Disc 34:

1. Trio for violin, viola & cello in G major, Op. 9/1: Adagio - allegro con brio
2. Trio for violin, viola & cello in G major, Op. 9/1: Adagio ma non tanto e cantabile
3. Trio for violin, viola & cello in G major, Op. 9/1: Scherzo, allegro
4. Trio for violin, viola & cello in G major, Op. 9/1: Presto
5. Trio for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 9/2: Allegretto
6. Trio for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 9/2: Andante quasi allegretto
7. Trio for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 9/2: Menuetto, allegro
8. Trio for violin, viola & cello in D major, Op. 9/2: Rondo, allegro
9. Trio for violin, viola & cello in C minor, Op. 9/3: Allegro con spirito
10. Trio for violin, viola & cello in C minor, Op. 9/3: Adagio con espressione
11. Trio for violin, viola & cello in C minor, Op. 9/3: Scherzo, allegro molto e vivace
12. Trio for violin, viola & cello in C minor, Op. 9/3: Finale, presto

Disc 35:

1. String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1: Allegro con brio
2. String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1: Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
3. String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1: Scherzo, allegro molto
4. String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1: Allegro
5. String Quartet No. 2 in G major ('Compliments'), Op. 18/2: Allegro
6. String Quartet No. 2 in G major ('Compliments'), Op. 18/2: Adagio cantabile
7. String Quartet No. 2 in G major ('Compliments'), Op. 18/2: Scherzo, allegro
8. String Quartet No. 2 in G major ('Compliments'), Op. 18/2: Allegro molto quasi presto

Disc 36:

1. String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3: Allegro
2. String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3: Andante
3. String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3: Allegro
4. String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3: Presto
5. String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4: Allegro ma non tanto
6. String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4: Scherzo, andante scherzoso
7. String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4: Menuetto, allegretto
8. String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18/4: Allegro

Disc 37:

1. String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5: Allegro
2. String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5: Menuetto
3. String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5: Andante cantabile
4. String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18/5: Allegro
5. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6: Allegro con brio
6. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6: Adagio ma non troppo
7. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6: Scherzo, allegro
8. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18/6: La Malinconia, adagio-allegretto
9. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: Allegro con brio
10. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: Allegretto ma non troppo
11. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: Allegro assai vivace ma serioso
12. String Quartet No. 11 in F minor ('Serioso'), Op. 95: Larghetto espressivo-allegretto agitato

Disc 38:

1. String Quartet No. 7 in F major ('Rasumovsky 1'), Op. 59/1: Allegro
2. String Quartet No. 7 in F major ('Rasumovsky 1'), Op. 59/1: Allegretto vivace, sempre scherzando
3. String Quartet No. 7 in F major ('Rasumovsky 1'), Op. 59/1: Adagio molto e mesto
4. String Quartet No. 7 in F major ('Rasumovsky 1'), Op. 59/1: Theme russe, allegro
5. String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ('Rasumovsky 2'), Op. 59/2: Allegro
6. String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ('Rasumovsky 2'), Op. 59/2: Molto adagio
7. String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ('Rasumovsky 2'), Op. 59/2: Allegretto
8. String Quartet No. 8 in E minor ('Rasumovsky 2'), Op. 59/2: Finale, presto

Disc 39:

1. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ('Harp'), Op. 74: Poco adagio-allegro
2. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ('Harp'), Op. 74: Adagio ma non troppo
3. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ('Harp'), Op. 74: Presto-piu presto quasi prestissimo
4. String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major ('Harp'), Op. 74: Allegretto con variazioni
5. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo
6. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Allegro molto vivace
7. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Allegro moderato
8. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile
9. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Presto
10. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Adagio quasi un poco andante
11. String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131: Allegro

Disc 40:

1. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: Maestoso-allegro
2. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
3. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: Scherzando vivace
4. String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 127: Finale
5. String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135: Allegretto
6. String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135: Vivace
7. String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135: Lento assai, cantate e tranquillo
8. String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135: Der schwer gefasste Entschluss, grave-allegro

Disc 41:

1. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: Assai sostenuto-allegro
2. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: Allegro ma non tanto
3. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydsch
4. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: Alla marcia, assai vivace
5. String Quartet No. 15 in A minor ('Heiliger Dankgesang'), Op. 132: Allegro appassionato
6. String Quartet No. 9 in C major ('Rasumovsky 3'), Op. 59/3: Introduzione: andante con moto-allegro vivace
7. String Quartet No. 9 in C major ('Rasumovsky 3'), Op. 59/3: Andante con moto quasi allegretto
8. String Quartet No. 9 in C major ('Rasumovsky 3'), Op. 59/3: Menuetto, grazioso
9. String Quartet No. 9 in C major ('Rasumovsky 3'), Op. 59/3: Allegro molto

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9946 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Number of discs: 85
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: 4.73 pounds

Album Description
From the people who brought you the Complete Works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 250th Anniversary Edition and the Complete Works of J. S. Bach Edition now bring out the Complete Works of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Brilliant classics has spared no expense to get the best possible performances of the music of Beethoven. The list of artists reads like a who's who of classical music.

Kurt Masur, Gewandhaus Orchestra, Friedrich Gulda, Vienna Philharmonic, Henryk Szering, Royal Concertgebouw, Bernard Haitink, Stanislaw Skroaczewski, Minneapolis Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Theo Adam, Helen Donath, Herbert Blomstadt, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Guarnari tring Quartet, Arthur Grimaux, Clara Haskil, Heinrich Schiff, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Zoltan Kocsis, Alfred Brendel, Pewter Schreier, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis and many more!

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Customer Reviews

Spend a few months reliving the career of Ludwig van Beethoven
First off, you may be familiar with Brilliant's universally acclaimed Bach and Mozart Editions, which emphasize historically informed performances, often on period instruments, and consist mainly of recent recordings by obscure musicians (mostly based in the Netherlands), contracted directly by Brilliant Classics. The Beethoven Edition set is quite different. These are entirely "modern" performances on modern instruments using the standard playing techniques of the post-World War Two period. Most of these recordings were made in the 1950s through early 1990s for other CD labels, and were licensed by Brilliant for this set. There are only a handful of original recordings, and these mainly serve to fill in gaps in the lesser known parts of Beethoven's output, such as the string quintets and the Irish and Welch songs. As a result, there isn't the sort of coherent thematic approach to the Beethoven oeuvre that you get with the Bach and Mozart (and now Haydn) sets.

So how are the recordings? Well, the symphonies are represented by 1974 recordings by Masur and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. I was skeptical about these going in, but was pleasantly surprised to hear that they hold up rather well. The Ninth is a perfectly acceptable "modern" rendition of this masterwork. You MUST go out and obtain one of the historically-informed sets by Gardiner or Norrington, since Beethoven's symphonies, like Mozart's, sound best when played on the instruments that Beethoven wrote for, using the ensemble sizes and playing techniques of his time. Among other things, doing this lets you hear the symphonies at the tempos that Beethoven envisioned, something that's often impractical with modern instruments (that have more sound volume and sometimes a longer decay time) and modern playing technique (e.g., habitual vibrato in the string chorus) that evolved to meet the musical and acoustic needs of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Once you have that, it's fine to also listen to the Masur performances as credible examples of the modern approach to the Beethoven symphonies.

The Guarneri Quartet handles the string quartets, in recordings from the late 1970s/early 1980s. Since I don't think Beethoven requires seeping sentimentality, I personally dislike their old-fashioned, vibrato-laden, ahistorical playing style, preferring either a historically informed approach, or a more intellectual modern approach such as the Alban Berg Quartet's recordings. But others will enjoy these recordings, and they are technically solid. The violin/piano sonata recordings by Haskil and Grumiaux are artful and remarkably clear for their time, but the sound quality does betray their origins in the 1950s. The unjustly neglected Op. 9 string trios are represented well by the Zurich String Trio, and I enjoy the Borodin Trio and Schiff/Fellner performances of the piano trios and cello/piano sonatas respectively.

Gulda's piano sonatas from the 1960s are serviceable but not very exciting, given the range of quality interpretations available elsewhere, from the classical Brendel, through the cerebral Pollini to various period instrument practitioners. (As an aside, Beethoven piano sonatas are a case where the argument for historically informed performance is less of a slam dunk, since modern pianos are so technologically and acoustically superior to the immature instruments of Beethoven's day.) The Gulda recordings are certainly adequate for filling in gaps if you don't already have a complete set of the 32 "canonical" sonatas (there are three unnumbered sonatas that Beethoven wrote as a teenager). One might have less misgivings about Gulda's recordings of the piano concertos, included here. These seem to hold up better. Sorry, if you want someone like Glenn Gould you'll need to pay real money.

It's great having recordings of both the final version of Fidelio and the original version (when it was still named Leonore). In fact there's also a Fürtwangler historical recording of Fidelio that follows Mahler's practice of inserting the Leonore Overture No. 3 after Floristan's rescue in Act 2. The choral music, including both masses, is generally strong. Of course the vocal and other choral works are included as well as minor works such as dances, wind music, the mandolin/piano sonatas and so on. There are also 15 disks of "historical" performances, some of which are quite interesting, spanning from the 1920s through the 1950s. These duplicate works in the primary set of 85 disks, and there are various works by Bach and Schubert thrown in.

There are some flaws in the set. Several of the Alfred Brendel recordings from the 1960s (chiefly piano variations) are marred by wow or distortion. The soprano singing one of Beethoven's early coronation cantatas clearly can't handle the challenges of the part. Perhaps she shouldn't feel too bad -- these difficulties were sufficient to abort the work's premier. The 27th Piano Sonata (Op. 90 in E minor) is missing its last note.

As with most of the other large "complete" Editions from Brilliant, there are no printed inserts, but you do get a CD-ROM with the program notes. The supplied biography of Beethoven is a pretty serviceable one for its length (about 70 pages), and is worth printing out and reading. The program notes to the recorded works are more uneven. Brilliant Classics is not brilliant in the translation department, so many of the notes read awkwardly, and not every work is covered. There are no English translations to the texts of vocal works at all, though they're usually provided in the original language (German or Italian). Try "The Lied and Art Song Texts Page" for lieder lyrics and translations. For most works, instrumental or otherwise, you'll want to complement the supplied program notes with your own reading [...].

Although most of the recordings in this set are not my favorites of the work in question, it was nevertheless an incredible experience to listen through this man's complete works, something that I chose to do in roughly the order of composition (which required a significant amount of research and planning, since the CDs are organized by ensemble). Although I've been listening to Beethoven music since I was 2 years old, and have studied it for many decades, there were still a few revelations:

1. The three piano quartets that Beethoven wrote when he was about 13. One of them consists of two movements: an allegro with a slow introduction, then a theme and variations, a form that prefigures his last piano sonata, written 37 years later. This Op. 111, in fact, was occasionally used as a two-movement model for other composers, including Prokofiev's Second Symphony and several late works by Webern. I suppose it's worth noting that you'll find antecedents in Mozart too, namely the K. 305 and K. 379 violin/piano sonatas
2. The piano variations in C minor. This composition wasn't given an opus number by Beethoven. Perhaps he himself was unsure whether it really worked. It's basically a chaconne over an eight-bar chord progression that bears an uncanny resemblance to the chord progression used in the last movement of Brahms' Fourth Symphony. The latter is supposed to have been modeled after Bach's Cantata No. 150, but the Beethoven C minor variations sound a lot closer, as their theme is eight bars long (the Bach is four bars), and Beethoven even uses the same chromatic inflection as Brahms in the fifth bar. I would love to know if Brahms was familiar with the C minor variations
3. Speaking of piano variations, did you know that Beethoven wrote variations on Rule, Britannia! and God Save the King/Queen? And have a drinking game, play Beethoven's Auld Lang Syne arrangement for three voices and piano trio, and ask your friends to name the arranger. You'll get few correct guesses, yet Beethoven published dozens of such arrangements during his relatively fallow years of 1812-8
4. For some reason the Opus 1 piano trios had passed me by all these years. The first two may or may not be vintage Beethoven, but No. 3, with its awesome final movement with the modern-sounding axial first theme based on a repeated minor third has become a favorite. Imagine at my age having a new Beethoven masterpiece revealed to me

So in conclusion, for me this set isn't quite the overwhelming artistic and economic success of Brilliant's Mozart, Bach (and even Chopin) complete sets, but for me it was still well worth what I paid to order this from Amazon's France site in September 2007, keeping in mind that as an American I didn't have to pay the sales tax that's factored into the listed price (though the international shipping made up for that). Your mileage may vary, but there's certainly good value here for the price, and I hope that like me you may discover some new music to fall in love with. Brilliant is to be congratulated for putting this music in the hands of those of us who can't spend hundreds to amass it.

Yet another successful Brilliant Classics release
I bought this in Europe a week ago. I've listened to about half of the discs since, and it's pretty clear Brilliant Classics has come up with yet another very successful box set.

The recordings included here range from ok to stellar. The Symphonies are definitely a highlight -- they're well-balanced and performed very well by the Leipzig Orchestra. The standard concertos (5 Piano, the Triple and the Violin) are excellent too, but the non-standard ones (Piano Concerto #0, the Violin Concerto transcribed for Piano, all the works without opus), are not so great. The sound is a little fuzzy, which doesn't help the fact that these works already aren't very good to start with.

The chamber music is a little hit and miss, but more hits than miss. The wind music overall is very good. I'm sure others will disagree, but I think the Piano Sonatas by Friedrich Gulka are a little on the limp side. They're ok, they're definitely not bad, but they lack fire. For the bargain side of things, I think John Lill's recordings are much better. The Violin Sonatas with Grumiaux and Haskil are from the 50's, so the sound again isn't perfect. But the performances are top notch. I've listened to about a third of the String Quartets performed by the Guarneri Quartet, and they're all outstanding.

This set also includes Leonore and Fidelio, which is interesting to compare. They're pretty similar, and they're both solid performances. I didn't listen to many of the songs and I'm not a vocalist, so I don't much to say there. They seem ok, but I'm no authority on that.

I'm thrilled to see Brilliant Classics come out with this set -- it seems like a natural progression after Bach and Mozart. The quality of those two box sets really set a pretty high bar for this one, and they didn't disappoint.

Brilliant Classics has really given DG's set a run for its money. And at a 90% discount to their set, there really isn't a question who comes out on top. Do yourself a favor and buy these discs!

Glorious Practicality
There's hardly a music lover out there who doesn't already have multiple recordings of the Beethoven symphonies, quartets, concertos, etc., performances from which we choose according to mood, frame of mind-- to any number of reasons. So why not add another set of each? It never hurts to have another take on this infinitely interpretable music, and have it on the cheap. But wait! There's more! I'd bet even most rabid classical fans don't have more than one "Christ on the Mount of Olives", "Music for a Ritterballet", or "Leonore". Imagine what it would cost in money, and time, to fill out a complete-works Beethoven (beyond your favorite sets of the well-known works) with all the wind music, songs, dances... Brilliant lets you do this in one quick, very painless, swoop.
Some thoughts on a few of the major works:
The Symphonies, with Masur and Leipzig, struck me as very nice, mainly because in this day of historically informed performance, they are a throwback to the old school of Beethoven playing. Larger ensembles, more relaxed tempi, etc. Not that I'll toss Gardiner, Hogwood, and Norrington away, but it's nice to hear, now and then, Beethoven played like it was when I was just getting into serious music. His recording of the Ninth is particularly delightful for those who occasionally want to hear this work "big"--and I mean big. In the fourth movement Masur uses the forces of two choirs and a children's chorus!
The Piano Sonatas, with Friedrich Gulda, are a bit laid-back, compared to some, but the pianist is certainly dedicated to his interpretations, and can thunder when its called for. He's hampered a bit by (I suspect) his engineers; the piano sound can be harsh in the higher registers, and tubby in the bass. But all in all, not a bad set to have. Gulda's playing works well in the Piano Concertos, for the most part well balanced with the orchestra, especially in the 5th Concerto; often a modern piano can overwhelm Beethoven's rather light scoring in this work--Gulda does not.
The String Quartets by the Guarneri Quartet are played with all the drama this ensemble is known for. No matter what sort of interpretation one likes, these will hold your interest.
Pleasures:
Nice to see some of the old Alfred Brendel recordings of some of the Piano Variations, especially since as I write this, Mr. Brendel is in the midst of his American Farewell tour. His playing has always been exemplary of knowledge, feeling, and pure, honest musicality.
The settings of Irish and Scottish songs are pure fun. Listening to some of the singers' accented English adds to the charm.
Guilty Pleasure:
Neville Marriner's version of "Wellington's Victory". This grandly silly take on an already grandly silly work is almost worth the price of the set.
I'll not get into a discussion on what constitutes a "greater" or "lesser" Beethoven work, but only say that throughout his canon, top to bottom, there's hardly a piece in which one will not hear a turn of phrase that brings a smile, an unexpected modulation, a perfect dissonance--something that makes the listening worthwhile in any number of ways.