Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (complete)

"History will tell us whether this cycle stands above those of other conductors and orchestras, but for now I'm placing my copy at the top of an already rather distinguished pile of references." (Recording of the Month Jan 2010 Musicweb)

'Vänskä's Beethoven looks set to be a front-runner among the historically unprejudiced cycles now available.' '…a Beethoven reforged for today's world' Gramophone

"Vänskä's Eroica comes to us primed for battle - an energetic, resilient, well drilled performance with surfaces of polished steel. …the playing of the Minnesota Orchestra 'Al' in all departments." Gramophone Magazine, September 2006 on 3 & 8

"What is truly outstanding here is the transparency of the texturing and the meticulous integration of phrase shape and accent within the rhythmic continuum. Everything is audible but since Vänskä is not a didactic conductor nothing is italicised or underlined." Gramophone on 2 & 7

"Osmo Vänskä's readings are full of character and imagination and, in his Minnesota orchestra, he has the perfect ensemble to support his approach." Gramophone Editor's Choice March 2005 on 4 & 5

"Vänskä offers a glowing performance of the Pastoral… The approach of the summer storm is splendidly handled…and the finale is as resplendent as could be wished." BBC Music on 1 & 6

"But what is really striking is the muscularity of the playing, its clipped, propulsive phrasing, quite unlike any other modern-instrument version of the Ninth. Suddenly this quirky first movement sounds like tough-grained middleperiod Beethoven, the fugal writing at its centre granitic and purposeful, the music's many calculated repetitions unnervingly obsessive." Editor's Choice Gramophone Dec 2006 [on No 9]