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CD / DVD Reviews - Selected Recordings
of the Piano Sonatas - Audio Samples:
(MIDI) - Piano Sonata #14,
Op. 27 #1 (I-II-III) - Bagatelle "Für Elise"
- Rooks in the Elm Tree
- 2 German Dances
- Symphonies
- #1, Op. 21 (I-III)
- #2, Op. 36 (I)
- #3 "Eroica", Op. 55
(I-II-IV) - #4, Op. 60 (I )
- #5, Op. 67 (II-III-IV)
- #6 "Pastorale", Op. 68
(I-II-III-IV-V) - #7, Op. 92
(I-II-III-IV) - #8, Op. 93 (I-II-III)
- #9 "Choral", Op. 125
(I-II-IVa-IVb-IVc)
-
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Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes
- Beethoven Works List
by Robert Poliquin - Life of Beethoven
by Tim Cordell - Beethoven Page & Catalogue of Major Works
by Simon Johnston - Overview of Recordings of the Symphonies
by Deryk Barker - Ludwig van Beethoven - The Master
by Pelle Östberg - Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State University
- Beethoven Music Page
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Unheard Beethoven Page
- Beethoven - The Magnificent Master
by Ingrid Schwaegermann & Raptus Association for Music Appreciation - The Beethoven Connection
by Cindy Gareinger
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Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770 - 1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven (December 16, 1770 - March 26, 1827) was a German composer born in Bonn who spent his musical career in Vienna. A pivotal figure in the development of the Romantic style, he is one of the most respected and influential composers of all time.
In a career that spanned the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic period, Beethoven made his mark in every major instrumental genre of his day, including the symphony, the string quartet, the piano sonata, and the concerto.
Arriving in Vienna in 1792, a year after Mozart's death, Beethoven set about composing in a number of chamber forms, and in 1794 had his first publication: a set of three piano trios. Within his decade his fame grew as his first symphonies, piano concertos, piano trios, string quartets and piano sonatas appeared.
Beethoven's greatest triumphs were yet to come, even as encroaching tinnitus began to rob him of his hearing. In his later years he was widely considered the greatest composer of his age.
Concertos for Piano (1-3, 4, 5)
- Piano Concertos #1-5 and Triple Concerto/Sony Essential Classics SB3K48397
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Leon Fleisher (piano), George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
- Piano Concertos #1-5/Sony Essential Classics S3K44575
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Murray Perahia (piano), Bernard Haitink/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
- Piano Concertos #1-5/Deutsche Grammophon 427237-2
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Wilhelm Kempff (piano), Ferdinand Leitner/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- Piano Concertos #1-5/London Decca 443723-2
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Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano), Sir Georg Solti/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Piano Concertos #1-5/Philips 422149-2
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Claudio Arrau (piano), Sir Colin Davis/Dresden State Orchestra
- Piano Concerto #5 "Emperor" with Rachmaninoff/RCA Living Stereo 9026-61961-2
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Van Cliburn (piano), Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Piano Concertos #1-5/L'Oiseau-Lyre 421408-2
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Steven Lubin (fortepiano), Christopher Hogwood/Academy Of Ancient Music
Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 61
- Violin Concerto with Mendelssohn/RCA Living Stereo 61391 Hybrid SACD
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Jascha Heifetz (violin), Charles Munch/Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Violin Concerto/EMI 66952-2
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Itzhak Perlman (violin), Carlo Maria Giulini/Philharmonia Orchestra
- Violin Concerto with Bruch/Pentatone Hybrid SACD PTC5186120
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Arthur Grumiaux (violin), Sir Colin Davis/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
- Violin Concerto with Bernstein/Sony SK60584
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Hilary Hahn (violin) David Zinman/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
- Violin Concerto/Denon 33C37-7508
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Jean-Jacques Kantorow (violin) Antoni Ros-Marba/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Concerto for Piano, Violin & Cello, Op. 56
- Concerto "Triple" with Overtures/Deutsche Grammophon 415276-2
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Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Mark Zeltser (piano), Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- Concerto "Triple" with Brahms/EMI CDM566902-2
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David Oistrakh (violin), Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Sviatoslav Richter (piano), Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- Concerto "Triple"/Teldec 4509-97447-2
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Trio Fontenay, Eliahu Inbal/Philharmonia Orchestra
- Concerto "Triple" with Romance/Denon 33CO-1407
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Jean-Jacques Kantorow (violin), Mari Fujiwara (cello), Jacques Rouvier (piano), Emanuel Krivine/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Diabelli Variations for Piano in C Major, Op. 120
- 33 Variations "Diabelli"/Deutsche Grammophon 459645-2
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Maurizio Pollini (piano)
- 33 Variations "Diabelli"/Virgin Classics VC545468-2
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Piotr Anderszewski (piano)
- 33 Variations "Diabelli" with Mozart/Regis RRC1140
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Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
- 33 Variations "Diabelli"/Philips 416295-2
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Claudio Arrau (piano)
- 33 Variations "Diabelli" with Bagatelles Op. 119 (rec. 1957)/Sony 12866
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Rudolf Serkin (piano)
- 33 Variations "Diabelli"/Vox Music Group PVT7200 or reissue
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Alfred Brendel (piano)
Eroica Variations for Piano, Op. 35
- 17 Variations "Eroica"/Naxos 8.550676
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Jénö Jandó (piano)
- 17 Variations "Eroica"/Philips 412227-2
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Alfred Brendel (piano)
- 17 Variations "Eroica"/Teldec 9031-74782-2
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Cyprian Katsaris (Piano)
- 17 Variations "Eroica"/Deutsche Grammophon 423136-2
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Emil Gilels (Piano)
Fidelio (opera), Op. 72
- Fidelio/Deutsche Grammophon 474420-2
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Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Lucia Popp (soprano), Leonard Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra & Vienna Staatsopernchor
- Fidelio/EMI CMS769290-2
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Helga Dernesch, Jon Vickers, Zoltan Kélémen, Karl Ridderbusch, Helen Donath, Horst Laubenthal, José Van Dam, Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra & Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus
- Fidelio/EMI CDC557555-2
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Alan Held, László Polgár, Thomas Quasthoff, Jon Villars, Angela Denoke, Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra & Arnold Schoenberg Chorus
- Fidelio/Naxos 8.660070/71
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Alan Titus, Gösta Winbergh, Inga Nielsen, Kurt Moll, Edith Lienbacher, Herwig Pecoraro, Wolfgang Glashof, Michael Halász/Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia & Hungarian Radio Chorus
- Fidelio (Highlights)/Philips 426308-2
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Jessye Norman, Reiner Goldberg, Kurt Moll, Bernard Haitink/Staatskapelle Dresden & Staatsopernchor Dresden
Missa Solemnis in D Major, Op. 123
- Missa Solemnis/Deutsche Grammophon Galleria 469546-2
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Edda Moser (soprano), Hanna Schwarz (alto), Rene Kollo (tenor), Kurt Moll (bass), Leonard Bernstein/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Rundfunkchor Hilversum
- Missa Solemnis/Teldec 0630-18945-2
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Eva Mei (soprano), Marjana Lipovsek (alto), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor), Robert Holl (bass), Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Chamber Orchestra Of Europe & Arnold Schoenberg Choir
- Missa Solemnis/Telarc CD-80150
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Sylvia McNair (soprano), Janice Taylor (mezzosoprano), John Aler (tenor), Tom Krause (baritone), Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
- Missa Solemnis/Archiv 429779-2
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Charlotte Margiono (soprano), Catherine Robbin (mezzosoprano), William Kendall (tenor), Alastair Miles (baritone), John Eliot Gardiner/English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir
- Missa Solemnis/EMI CDM567546-2
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Elisabeth Söderström (soprano), Marga Höffgen (mezzosoprano), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Martti Talvela (baritone), Otto Klemperer/New Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus
Overtures
- Overtures:: Leonore #1-3; Fidelio; Coriolan; Egmont; Creatures of Prometheus; Ruins of Athens/Teldec 0630-13140-2
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Chamber Orchestra of Europe
- Overtures: Leonore #3; Fidelio; Coriolan; Egmont; Creatures of Prometheus; Ruins of Athens; etc./Naxos 8.550072
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Stephen Gunzenhauser/Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
- Overtures & Incidental Music: Leonore #1-3; Fidelio; Coriolan; Egmont; Creatures of Prometheus; Ruins of Athens; etc./Vox Music Group CDX5099
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Stanislaw Skrowaczewski/Minnesota Orchestra & Bach Society of Minnesota
String Quartets #7-16 (8, 14)
- Complete Quartets #1-16 & "Grosse Fuge"/Philips 454062-2
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Quartetto Italiano
- 5 Quartets #12-16 & "Grosse Fuge" - "Late Quartets"/Philips 50 464684-2
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Quartetto Italiano
- 5 Quartets #7-11 "Middle Quartets"/RCA Red Seal 60462-2-RC
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Tokyo Quartet
- 5 Quartets #12-16 & "Grosse Fuge" - "Late Quartets"/RCA Red Seal 09026-60975-2
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Tokyo Quartet
- Complete Quartets #1-16 & "Grosse Fuge"/Calliope CAL3633/9
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Talich Quartet
- 5 Quartets #12-16 & "Grosse Fuge" - "Late Quartets"/Deutsche Grammophon Trio 474341-2
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Emerson Quartet
Quintet for Piano & Winds in E Flat Major, Op. 16
- Quintet with Mozart/Sony SMK42099
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Murray Perahia (piano)/Members of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Quintet with Mozart/Telarc CD-80114
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André Previn (piano)/Vienna Wind Soloists
- Quintet with Septet/Praga PRD250194
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Ivan Klánský (piano)/Members of the Czech Nonet
- Quintet with Mozart/Testament SBT1091
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Walter Gieseking (piano)/Philharmonia Wind Quartet
Serenade & Trios for Strings
- Trio Op. 3, Serenade Op. 8 & 3 Trios Op. 9/Philips Duo 456317-2
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Mozart String Trio
- Trio Op. 3, Serenade Op. 8 & 3 Trios Op. 9/Deutsche Grammophon 427687-2 or 453757-2
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Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Bruno Giuranna (viola), Mstislav Rostropovich (cello)
- Trio Op. 3, Serenade Op. 8 & 3 Trios Op. 9/EMI CDS754198-2
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Itzhak Perlman (violin), Pinchas Zukerman (viola), Lynn Harrell (cello)
- Trio, Op. 3 and Serenade, Op. 8/Sony Vivarte SK53961
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L'Archibudelli
- 3 Trios, Op. 9/Sony Vivarte SK48190
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L'Archibudelli
- Trio, Op. 3 and Serenade, Op. 8/Denon CO-2251-EX
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Mozart String Trio
- 3 Trios, Op. 9/Denon 8175723032
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Mozart String Trio
Sextet for Winds in E Flat Major, Op. 71
- Sextet; Octet for Winds/Amon Ra CD-SAR26
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Classical Winds
- Sextet/Supraphon 111445-2
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Václav Kyzivát & Zdenek Tesar (clarinets), Zdenek & Bedrich Tylsar (horns), Frantisek Herman & Vilém Horák (bassoons)
- Sextet; Octet for Winds, etc./Sony SK53367
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Charles Neidich/Mozzafiato
- Sextet; Octet for Winds, etc./AS&V CDCOE807
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Chamber Orchestra of Europe Wind Soloists
Sonatas for Piano (All, especially 8, 14, 21, 23, 29)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete except for #1, 9, 22 & 24)/Deutsche Grammophon 453221-2
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Emil Gilels (piano)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete)/Philips 432301-2
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Claudio Arrau (piano)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete)/Deutsche Grammophon 447966-2
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Wilhelm Kempff (piano)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete)/Nonesuch 7559-79328-2
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Richard Goode (piano)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete)/EMI CZS572912-2
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Daniel Barenboim (piano)
- Piano Sonatas (Complete)/Vox Music Group CDX5056
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Alfred Brendel (piano)
- 3 Piano Sonatas #8 "Pathétique", 13 and 14 "Moonlight"/Deutsche Grammophon 400036-2
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Emil Gilels (piano)
- 3 Piano Sonatas #21 "Waldstein", 23 & 26/Deutsche Grammophon 419162-2
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Emil Gilels (piano)
- 2 Piano Sonatas #8 "Pathétique", #29 "Hammerklavier" & Fantasia/Sony Essential Classics SBK47666
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Rudolf Serkin (piano)
- 3 Piano Sonatas #8, 14 & 23/Philips Concert Classics 422970-2
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Claudio Arrau (piano)
- 7 Piano Sonatas ##8 "Pathétique", #14 "Moonlight", #15 "Pastoral", #17 "Tempest", #21 "Waldstein", #23 "Appassionata", #26 "Les adieux"/Philips Duo 438730-2
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Alfred Brendel (piano)
- 7 Piano Sonatas ##8 "Pathétique", #14 "Moonlight", #15 "Pastoral", #17 "Tempest", #21 "Waldstein", #23 "Appassionata", #26 "Les adieux"/London Double Decca 452952-2
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Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Sonatas for Cello & Piano #1-5
- 5 Cello Sonatas #1 & 2 Op. 5, #3 Op. 69, #4 & 5, Op. 102, and Variations/Sony Theta SM2K89870 or CBS Masterworks S2K42446
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Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Emanuel Ax (piano)
- 5 Cello Sonatas #1 & 2 Op. 5, #3 Op. 69, #4 & 5, Op. 102, and Variations/Hyperion CDD22004
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Anthony Pleeth (cello), Melvyn Tan (fortepiano)
- 5 Cello Sonatas #1 & 2 Op. 5, #3 Op. 69, #4 & 5, Op. 102, Minuets and Variations/Pearl GEMMCDS9461 or Naxos Historical 8.110949/50
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Pablo Casals (cello), Mieczysław Horszowski (piano)
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic
or
UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan
- 5 Cello Sonatas #1 & 2 Op. 5, #3 Op. 69, #4 & 5, Op. 102/Philips 50 464677-2
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Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
- 5 Cello Sonatas #1 & 2 Op. 5, #3 Op. 69, #4 & 5, Op. 102/Nonesuch 79152 & 79236
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Anner Bylsma (cello), Malcolm Bilson (fortepiano)
Vol. 1: Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic
Vol. 2:
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan - ArkivMusic
Sonatas for Violin & Piano #1-10 (5, 9)
- 10 Sonatas including #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/Philips 468406-2
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David Oistrakh (violin), Lev Oborin (piano)
- 2 Sonatas, #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/Philips 412255-2
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David Oistrakh (violin), Lev Oborin (piano)
- 10 Sonatas including #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/London-Decca Ovation 421453-2
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Itzhak Perlman (violin), Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
- 2 Sonatas, #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/London-Decca Legends 458618-2
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Itzhak Perlman (violin), Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
- 10 Sonatas including #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/Deutsche Grammophon 471495-2
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Augustin Dumay (violin), Maria João Pires (piano)
- 2 Sonatas, #5 "Spring" and #9 "Kreutzer"/Naxos 8.550283
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Takako Nishizaki (violin), Jenõ Jandó (piano)
Symphonies (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- 9 Symphonies (complete)/Deutsche Grammophon 429036-2 or 453701-2 or Hybrid SACD 474600-2
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Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- 9 Symphonies (complete) with Overtures/Deutsche Grammophon 423481-2
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Leonard Bernstein/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
- 9 Symphonies (complete)/Teldec 2292-46452-2
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
- 9 Symphonies (complete)/Virgin Classics VC561943-2
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Roger Norrington/London Classical Players
- Symphonies #1 & 2 with Haydn & Mozart/Sony Masterworks MK93087
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Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony Orchestra
- Symphonies #1 & 6 "Pastorale"/Sony Essential Classics 89838
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George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
- Symphonies #3 "Eroica" & #9 "Choral" with Overtures/Deutsche Grammophon Double 437368-2
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Dame Gwyneth Jones, Tatiana Troyanos, Jess Thomas, Karl Ridderbusch, Karl Böhm/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Opera Chorus
- Symphonies #3 "Eroica" & #8/Sony Essential Classics 89832 or SBK46328
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George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra
- Symphonies #3 "Eroica" & #8/RCA Red Seal 82876-60858-2
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Günter Wand/North German Radio Symphony Orchestra