Peter Maag recorded Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 late in his career, and it is perhaps significant that he did so with a small orchestra and chorus. Considering that this conductor's past association with Furtwängler might have entitled him to carry on the late-Romantic tradition of expansiveness and monumentality, it is surprising to find that the forces are reduced here and the details of the music are given extraordinary attention, almost as a reflection of developments in authentic period practice as advocated by Gardiner ...
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Peter Maag recorded Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 late in his career, and it is perhaps significant that he did so with a small orchestra and chorus. Considering that this conductor's past association with Furtwängler might have entitled him to carry on the late-Romantic tradition of expansiveness and monumentality, it is surprising to find that the forces are reduced here and the details of the music are given extraordinary attention, almost as a reflection of developments in authentic period practice as advocated by Gardiner, Norrington, and others. Schools of interpretation put aside, this live performance with the Orchestra di Padove e del Veneto is delicate and transparent in its lines, and far from a heaven-storming affair. Maag's streamlined reading is agile and flexible. Conscious of tempo markings and dynamics, yet relaxed enough to let the music flow easily, Maag produces a light and unpretentious performance that works well on an intimate level, especially in the warm Adagio. The orchestra is...
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