Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Live)

“… this is a consistently fine cycle, only falling short in comparison with the absolutely greatest; it achieves the conductor’s stated ambition of marrying the great tradition of this music with modern thinking in performances all of which consistently exhibit style and flair, and sound freshly minted. On this evidence, Robert Treviño exhibits all the hallmarks of becoming a great Beethoven conductor and as such, this set will provide much satisfaction to anyone acquiring it. It is Beethoven for the 2020s indeed.”

“… This is a fine debut for Trevino …”

“… Ondine’s sound is immaculately clear … Ondine’s presentation of thisset is unfussy and just right – matching precisely Trevino’s interpretations. The more I listen to these performances the more I am coming to love them …” *****

“… Captured live during Trevino’s first season at the helm of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and recorded (and presented here) in numerical sequence, it heralds the young American baton-wielder as a Beethovenian of considerable abilities. The dominant accent is lyrical and fluid with zesty tempi, characterful playful and a pointedly employed penchant for the dramatic. Throughout, Trevino’s interpretative choices discretely accommodate lessons learned from his predecessors even while espousing an agreeable freshness all their own… Spirited vocal contributions from soprano Kate Royal, mezzo Christine Rice, tenor Tuomas Katajala, bass-baritone Derek Welton and the MSO Festival Chorus in the rousingly excitable Choral finale are lithely supported by Malmö’s impressive musicians. A deserved nod, too, for Ondine’s crisp, clear and communicative engineering.” ****