Beethoven: Complete Symphonies WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln & Jukka-Pekka Saraste

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21:
• 1Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio09:15
• 2Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: II. Andante cantabile con moto07:34
• 3Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace03:29
• 4Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: IV. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace05:46
• Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica":
• 5Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": I. Allegro con brio17:56
• 6Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai15:20
• 7Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace06:01
• 8Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": IV. Finale. Allegro molto12:02
• Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36:
• 9Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio12:47
• 10Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: II. Larghetto11:09
• 11Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: III. Scherzo. Allegro03:56
• 12Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: IV. Allegro molto06:33
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral":
• 13Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Country. Allegro ma non troppo11:31
• 14Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": II. Scene by the Brook. Andante molto mosso11:07
• 15Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk. Allegro05:17
• 16Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm. Allegro03:36
• 17Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": V. Shepherd's Song. Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm. Allegretto09:08
• Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92:
• 18Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace13:45
• 19Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: II. Allegretto07:37
• 20Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: III. Presto07:55
• 21Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: IV. Allegro con brio06:46
• Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93:
• 22Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio09:32
• 23Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando04:01
• 24Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: III. Tempo di menuetto04:47
• 25Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: IV. Allegro vivace07:43
• Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral":
• 26Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso15:40
• 27Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": II. Molto vivace11:28
• 28Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": III. Adagio molto e cantabile12:44
• 29Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": IV. Finale. Presto - Allegro assai22:07
• Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60:
• 30Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: I. Adagio - Allegro vivace11:24
• 31Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: II. Adagio09:28
• 32Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: III. Allegro vivace05:42
• 33Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: IV. Allegro ma non troppo06:56
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67:
• 34Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio07:15
• 35Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: II. Andante con moto09:15
• 36Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: III. Scherzo. Allegro05:23
• 37Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: IV. Allegro10:37
• Total Runtime05:42:32

Info for Beethoven: Complete Symphonies

Jukka-Pekka Saraste on his Beethoven cycle: 'All Beethoven interpretations need time to mature. The time we spend playing his symphonies is just as important as the time lapse in between. After a while the orchestra begins to feel a personal bond with a particular sort of music. And that is just what has happened over the past eight years, in which the WDR Symphony Orchestra and I have frequently played all of the symphonies except the sixth. I believe that Beethoven's impact is paramount because his message can be felt everywhere. Not just in Europe. A message of strength, of humanity and one that places human culture in the forefront. There is so much destruction in the world; we need to hold on to things that enrich the spirit.' Johannes Zink in conversation with Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

“Saraste’s detailed and unforced conducting and the first rate playing of the WDR Symphony Orchestra make this a most successful recording of the complete Beethoven symphonies, all the more so because of the superlative sound quality.” (Remy Franck, Pizzicato)

WDR Sinfonieorchester
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor

Jukka-Pekka Saraste
has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation, demonstrating remarkable musical depth and integrity. Born in Heinola, Finland, he began his career as a violinist before training as a conductor with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

An artist of exceptional versatility and breadth, Saraste feels a special affinity with the sound and style of late Romantic music. Equally, he maintains a strong connection with the music of our time, such as that of Dutilleux, Lindberg, Salonen and Saariaho, among others. He conducted world premieres of works by Wolfgang Rihm, Friedrich Cerha, Pascal Dusapin and others. Moreover, he is co-founder of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, which has a strong emphasis on contemporary music.

Saraste has served as Chief Conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne since 2010 and extended his contract in 2015 until the end of the 2018/2019 season. He was Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra from 2006 to 2013, and at the end of his tenure was appointed Conductor Laureate, the very first such title bestowed by that orchestra. His previous positions include the principal conductorships of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (1987-1991), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1987-2001), after which he was made Conductor Laureate, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1994-2001), and he also served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (2002-2005). He has recently held the position of Artistic Advisor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and founded the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, for which he is still Artistic Advisor. He also founded the orchestra´s annual Tammisaari Festival, for which he is Artistic Director.

His guest engagements have led him to the major orchestras worldwide, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Munich Philharmonic, Dresden Staatskapelle, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the leading Scandinavian orchestras, among others. In North America he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic as well as Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste´s extensive discography includes the complete symphonies of Sibelius and Nielsen with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has made a number of well-received recordings with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra of works by Bartók, Dutilleux, Mussorgsky and Prokofiev for Warner Finlandia, most notably a recording of Dutilleux’s Second Symphony. His recording of Mahler´s 6th Symphony with the Oslo Philharmonic has received widespread acknowledgement. His CDs with WDR Symphony Orchestra for Hänssler have likewise earned him high critical praise, and include Schoenberg’s Pelleas and Melisande, Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Brahms’ Symphonies No. 1 and 3 as well as Mahler’s 5th and 9th Symphony and, most recently, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8. For Kairos, he and the WDR Symphony Orchestra recorded Friedrich Cerha’s Drei Orchesterstücke, again to great acclaim.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste has received the Pro Finlandia Prize, the Sibelius Medal, and the Finnish State Prize for Music. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from York University, Toronto and an honorary doctorate from the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki.

Booklet for Beethoven: Complete Symphonies