Beethoven Symphony No 3 / Leonore Overture No 2

Hybrid/SACD - playable on all compact disc players

'Tempos were fleet, especially in the second movement. With a glorious, unsentimental crescendo at its centre, this was a funeral march with somewhere to go. After a cascading, no-holds-barred introduction, the finale dovetailed jubilation with the slightly restrained gracefulness that had characterised the first movement's sweeping melody. It made it seem that its heroism had been rooted in the symphony from its very first chord' *****
The Guardian (UK), 23 November 2005

'Haitink is now hearing Beethoven with the experience of period-instrument interpretations in mind. The snap, the bite, the punchy fortissimos … taut rhythms and mounting tension crowned the night in the Eroica'
The Times (UK), 23 November 2005

'The LSO did it full dramatic justice, reminding us that itmakes an arguably better dramatic prelude to the opera than No 3 itself - and showing us that the LSO itself was on best form, as under Haitink they usually are'
Financial Times (UK), 25 November 2005