Symphonie No. 9 "choral"

The symphony of a new world
In spite of its apparently rather classical formal structure, this symphony was so innovative in its proportions (a finale of extravagant length and complexity), its forces (including vocal soloists and choir) and the universal message contained in the setting of Schiller's famous Ode to Joy, that it paralysed several generations of romantic composers after Beethoven. Philippe Herreweghe strives to recapture as closely as possible the form and the spirit of this visionary work as it would have been heard on a certain day in May 1824. This is reflected particularly in the tone colours (thanks to the instruments of the period) and the tempi (Beethoven was very precise in his indications)...
This title was released for the first time in 1999.