AMAZING!
D. Lai | El Cajon, CA United States | 05/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Played on period instruments, La Chambre Philarmonique (Emmanuel Krivine, conductor) and the Chaer de Chambre les Éléments, this version of Beethoven's magnum opus, the Ninth Symphony ("Ode to Joy") has pushed all others in my collection aside to take top spot.
At first, I felt something missing in this recording -- all the brashness and "brass-ness" of modern, massive orchestras with equally massive choirs blowing the lids off of concert halls around the world. This version uses smaller forces and softer horns but finds a perfect balance between chorus and orchestra. For me, this is how the Ninth was meant to be heard.
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