George Szell - George Szell Conducts Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 & Overtures [7CD] (CD Box Set)

Many facets of George Szell come together in this album. Although born in Budapest to a Hungarian Jewish family, he was a true Viennese musician, supremely talented and rudely arrogant. Beethoven was central to his repertoire - even more so than for most conductors. The Cleveland Orchestra was the pearl in Szell's crown. Artur Rodzinski turned a mediocre group into a fine ensemble; Szell polished it to perfection. Donal Henahan of The New York Times called it "the world's keenest symphonic instrument." A decade after Szell's death, Cleveland's music director Christoph von Dohnanyi complained: "We give a great concert, and George Szell gets a great review."

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Tracklist:

CD 1:
1. Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 / I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 / II. Andante cantabile con moto
3. Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 / III. Menuetto - Allegro molto e vivace
4. Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 / IV. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
5. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 / I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
6. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 / II. Larghetto
7. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 / III. Scherzo - Allegro
8. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 / IV. Allegro molto

CD 2:
1. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica" (Remastered) / I. Allegro con brio
2. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica" (Remastered) / II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
3. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica" (Remastered) / III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
4. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica" (Remastered) / IV. Finale. Allegro molto

CD 3:
1. Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 / I. Adagio - Allegro vivace
2. Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 / II. Adagio
3. Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 / III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace - Trio. Un poco meno allegro
4. Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 / IV. Allegro ma non troppo
5. Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b
6. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 / I. Allegro con brio
7. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 / II. Andante con moto
8. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 / III. Scherzo - Allegro
9. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 / IV. Allegro

CD 4:
1. Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" / I. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" / II. Andante molto moto
3. Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" / III. Allegro
4. Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" / IV. Allegro
5. Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" / V. Allegretto

CD 5:
1. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 / I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
2. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 / II. Allegretto
3. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 / III. Presto - Presto meno assai
4. Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 / IV. Allegro con brio
5. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 / I. Allegro vivace e con brio
6. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 / II. Allegretto scherzando
7. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 / III. Tempo di Menuetto
8. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 / IV. Allegro vivace

CD 6:
1. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" / I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" / II. Molto vivace
3. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" / III. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato
4. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral" / IV. Finale (Final Chorus on Schiller's "Ode to Joy")

CD 7:
1. Egmont Overture, Op. 84
2. Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
3. Overture "King Stephen", Op. 117
4. Leonore Overture No. 2, Op. 72a
5. Leonore Overture No. 1, Op. 138
6. Fidelio, Op. 72: Overture