Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, op. 55 'Eroica' (Ensemble28, Daniel Grossmann)

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Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, op. 55 'Eroica' (Ensemble28, Daniel Grossmann)

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There have been other period instrument recordings of Beethoven's symphonies, but this brand new one from NEOS Classics may be the most authentic, and most riveting, of them all. Recorded in 2003 at the very location where Beethoven's 3rd Symphony had its world debut in 1804 under the baton of the composer himself - Vienna's Palais Lobkowitz - this account is a live recording of an Ensemble28 performance, with the same number of musicians as the 1804 performance. Relying on the relatively new Barenreiter Edition, Ensemble28's rendition is among the fastest I have heard. It is also a unique recording due to its sparse instrumentation; young German conductor Daniel Grossman does an admirable job emphasizing the textural richness of Beethoven's score. I doubt I have heard a more exciting account of the opening first movement (Allegro con brio) that is as memorable from a period instrument perspective, and indeed, one that compares favorably to those from the likes of Harnoncourt, Abbado and Haitink, among others in recordings dating from the early 1990s. The same can be said for the following three: Marcia funebre: Adagio assai; Scherzo: Allegro vivace; and Finale: Allegro molto. Grossman's riveting account merely emphasizes the truly revolutionary nature of Beethoven's work, aided immensely by superlative playing from the Ensemble28 chamber orchestra, most notably from the violins, violas and cellos. Forget previous period instrument recordings of this often-recorded work; this one ought to be the new standard against which others will be measured. (John Kwok on amazon.com)