Antonello Manacorda views Beethoven not just as a composer, but as a philosopher who tells us about ourselves, our origins, and our purpose in the world.
Interpretation
The Kammerakademie Potsdam performs on modern instruments, but incorporates elements of historical performance practice such as Classical bows, gut strings, natural horns and trumpets, and narrower-bore trombones.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's themes, even in his First Symphony, are described as 'themes for all time' — pure, unadulterated music, lacking the irony, humor, or operatic qualities found in Haydn or Mozart.
Album & Artwork
The album artwork features six drawings from Jorinde Voigt's 2011 series "Symphonic Parts / Rhythmus Berlin," which are related to music and use notational metasystems reminiscent of musical scores.
Recording & Production
This album's recordings were made during the pandemic, with Symphony No. 1 recorded live in Berlin and Symphonies No. 2 and 7 recorded in Teldex Studio, Berlin.
Composer Biography
Antonello Manacorda describes Beethoven as a "desperate figure," constantly searching, evidenced by his frequent house moves, relationships, and numerous corrections in his scores.
Performer Biography
Antonello Manacorda, the conductor, has previously recorded critically acclaimed cycles of symphonies by Schubert and Mendelssohn with the Potsdam Chamber Academy, and Mozart's last three symphonies.
