Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center & Gianandrea Noseda

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21:
• 1 Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio 09:05
• 2 Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: II. Andante cantabile con moto 07:46
• 3 Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace 03:58
• 4 Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: IV. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace 05:47
• Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica":
• 5 Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": I. Allegro con brio 16:41
• 6 Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai 14:21
• 7 Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 05:19
• 8 Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": IV. Finale. Allegro molto 11:17
• Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36:
• 9 Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio 11:44
• 10 Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: II. Larghetto 11:02
• 11 Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: III. Scherzo. Allegro 03:33
• 12 Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: IV. Allegro molto 06:19
• Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92:
• 13 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace 13:25
• 14 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: II. Allegretto 07:47
• 15 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: III. Presto - Assai meno presto 09:11
• 16 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: IV. Allegro con brio 08:02
• Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60:
• 17 Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: I. Adagio - Allegro vivace 10:34
• 18 Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: II. Adagio 09:25
• 19 Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace 05:17
• 20 Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60: IV. Allegro ma non troppo 06:26
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67:
• 21 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio 06:40
• 22 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: II. Andante con moto 08:49
• 23 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: III. Scherzo. Allegro 04:41
• 24 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: IV. Allegro 10:28
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral":
• 25 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande. Allegro ma non troppo 11:15
• 26 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": II. Szene am Bach. Andante molto moto 11:37
• 27 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute. Allegro 04:37
• 28 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": IV. Gewitter. Sturm. Allegro 03:29
• 29 Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. Allegretto 09:43
• Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93:
• 30 Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio 09:11
• 31 Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando 04:07
• 32 Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: III. Tempo di Menuetto 04:48
• 33 Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: IV. Allegro vivace 07:33
• Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral":
• 34 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso 14:58
• 35 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": II. Molto vivace - Presto 13:17
• 36 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": III. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato 13:15
• 37 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": IV. Finale. Presto - Allegro assai - "O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!" (Ode to Joy) 22:42
• Total Runtime 05:38:09

Info for Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies

The culmination of five digital releases, the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conclude their journey through Beethoven’s complete symphonies, releasing the complete set.

“Beethoven’s voice is as fresh and powerful today as it was when he created those masterpieces,” said Noseda. “To approach Beethoven is a journey. You know you are starting the journey, but you never know where the journey will take you. With Beethoven, any moment is a discovery.”

Capturing the complete Beethoven Symphonies was a multi-year project, with the performances and recordings spanning the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 seasons. The recordings of Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 were released in 2022, followed by Nos. 4 & 5, 6 & 8, and 2 & 7 in 2023. Symphony No. 9 was recorded with special guest artists Camilla Tilling (soprano), Kelley O’Connor (mezzo-soprano), Issachah Savage (tenor), Ryan McKinny (bass-baritone), and the Washington Chorus.

These performances and recordings have earned critical acclaim. The Washington Post said, “If there was a question as to why the world needs another recorded Beethoven cycle, Noseda gamely offered the first few notes of an answer.” Washington Classical Review said the performance of No. 2 was “undeniably fresh and thrilling.” BBC Music Magazine praised the recordings of Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 as having been played with “an energizing injection of sheer excitement.” The Washington Post praised the performance of Symphony No. 7 in May of 2023 as “powerful” and “rousing.”

The box set includes cover art by the Kennedy Center’s first Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems. In creating the Beethoven Abstracted designs for the cover art, Willems said, “I got to know Beethoven in a new way. When you listen to a symphony you are invited into a dialogue with its creator. I had the opportunity to see his technique change over his career and to feel the journey of his musical notes.” Also included in the box set are two Pure Audio Blu-ray discs that contain all symphonies and a bonus video of No. 9.

The complete Beethoven Symphonies continue the legacy of the NSO’s rich recording history, which began in the 1940s. Under its own label the NSO released a pairing of Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, in 2020, and the complete George Walker Sinfonias in September of 2023. For its achievement in performances and recordings, the NSO was nominated for the 2023 Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award.

Camilla Tilling, soprano
Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano
Issachah Savage, tenor
Ryan McKinny, bass-baritone
National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Gianandrea Noseda
is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, equally recognized for his artistry in both the concert hall and opera house. The 2021 – 2022 season marks his fifth as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Noseda’s artistic leadership has inspired the NSO and in 2019, he and the National Symphony Orchestra earned rave reviews for their first concerts together at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. The 2019–2020 season saw their artistic partnership continue to flourish with the launch of a new NSO recording label distributed by LSO Live for which Noseda also records as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. The first recording on the label featured Dvořák’s Symphony No 9 and Copland’s Billy the Kid.

Noseda became General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House in September 2021 and will lead multiple productions each season. The centerpiece of his tenure will be a new production of the Ring Cycle, marking his first performances of Wagner’s tetralogy. From 2007 to 2018, Noseda served as Music Director of the Teatro Regio Torino, where his leadership and his initiatives propelled the company’s global reputation resulting in a golden era for this opera house.

National Symphony Orchestra
Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1931 by Hans Kindler, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has always been committed to artistic excellence and music education. Now, nearly 90 years later, the NSO continues to thrive in this capital city. In 1986, the Orchestra became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed a full season of subscription concerts since the Center opened in 1971. In addition, the 98-member NSO regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including official holiday celebrations for Memorial and Independence Days through its regularly televised appearances on PBS on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol for Capital Concerts, live-streamed performances from the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on medici.tv, and local radio broadcasts on Classical WETA 90.9FM, making the NSO one of the most-heard orchestras in the country.

Gianandrea Noseda serves as the National Symphony Orchestra’s seventh music director, joining the NSO’s legacy of such distinguished leaders as Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Antal Doráti, Howard Mitchell, and Hans Kindler. Its artistic leadership also includes Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke and Artistic Advisor Ben Folds.

Since assuming the leadership of the NSO, Gianandrea Noseda has brought a renewed sense of energy and focus to the orchestra, which has resulted in wide-ranging recognition from local, national, and international publications, increases in subscription and single ticket sales, and the expansion of the Orchestra’s reach through livestreamed concerts and recordings. The New York Times called the NSO and Noseda’s recent Carnegie Hall appearance 'spectacular', while the Washington Post wrote that 'there’s a certain flair going on at the National Symphony Orchestra', consistently reinforcing that this artistic partnership continues to gain momentum.

Additionally, the NSO’s community engagement projects are nationally recognized, including NSO In Your Neighborhood, which annually comprises a week of performances in schools, churches, community centers, and other unexpected venues; Notes of Honor, which offers free performances for active, veteran, prior service, and retired members of the military and their families; and Sound Health, a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its affiliated organizations. Career development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its acclaimed, tuition-free Summer Music Institute.

Booklet for Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies