[TR24][OF] Ludwig van Beethoven: Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II; Symphony No. 2 - San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas - 2013 (Classical)

Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, WoO 87
01. I. Todt, Todt! (7:44)
02. II. Ein Ungeheuer, sein Name Fanatismus (1:31)
03. III. Da kam Joseph (4:44)
04. IV. Da stiegen die Menschen an's Licht (5:33)
05. V. Er schläft (2:33)
06. VI. Hier schlummert seinen stillen Frieden (7:38)
07. VII. Todt, Todt! (8:53)
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36
08. I. Adagio molto-Allegro con brio (13:00)
09. II. Larghetto (11:26)
10. III. Scherzo (Allegro) (3:42)
11. IV. Allegro molto (6:40)

Beethoven's colossal Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II for chorus, soloists, and orchestra and his playful, upbeat Second Symphony combine on this powerful new recording from Michael Tilson Thomas and the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Symphony and Chorus. Rarely performed and recorded, this gripping and profoundly moving funeral cantata proved a revelation during the Symphony's May 2013 Beethoven Project. The recording features the Symphony, Chorus, and a glorious solo quartet - soprano Sally Matthews, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, tenor Barry Banks, and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams - all conducted by MTT. Presented as a premium audio hybrid SACD, this album is the latest addition to the San Francisco Symphony's ever growing collection of Beethoven recordings.
Pairing Ludwig van Beethoven's Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II with the Symphony No. 2 in D major is an unsual programming choice, but Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony play both pieces to perfection. Even if there isn't much to link them besides their early place in the composer's output, they make an exciting album by virtue of their contrasts. The cantata was composed in 1790, but it wasn't performed until 1884, so it has been treated as a minor work, at least in terms of the 20-year-old composer's immaturity and small influence. However, the Symphony No. 2, written in 1802, is one of the most significant examples of Beethoven's development , particularly of the heroic style, and its influence on Hector Berlioz and other Romantic composers was pronounced. In spite of the apparent imbalance between the works, Tilson Thomas gives them something like equal weight in his interpretations, treating the cantata with enough gravitas and expansiveness to elevate it to the symphony's obvious level of importance. Certainly, the cantata has worthwhile moments, most notably soprano Sally Matthews' solo with chorus, Da stiegen die Menschen an's Licht, which was adapted later for use in the opera Leonore (the early version of Fidelio). Yet even if the cantata is a curiosity at best, the thrilling performance of the Symphony No. 2 gives this hybrid SACD high value, and makes it one of the best releases of 2013. --AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson
Personnel:
San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Sally Matthews, soprano
Barry Banks, tenor
Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
Ragnar Bohlin, director
Recorded live in PCM 96 kHz/24-bit audio May 2-3, 2013 at Davies Symphony Hall — a venue of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, City and County of San Francisco.