Beethoven: 12 Contredanses, WoO14

This page lists all recordings of 12 Contredanses, WoO14, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) on CD. Generally, more recent CDs are listed first, but with priority given to items that are in stock.

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Beethoven - Symphony No. 3

Beethoven:

Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 'Eroica'

The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43 (Finale)

12 Contredanses, WoO14

Helsingborgs Symfoniorkester, Andrew Manze (director)

Emerging from a dark depression, Beethoven chose art rather than death, thus embracing a notion of destiny and heroism which links him to heroes of the past - and of his present.The Eroica Symphony, dedicated initially to Napoleon, and ultimately 'to the memory of a great man', was to prompt contemporary commentators to seek out interpretations in the Iliad. It was this work which first inspired the concept of a 'symphonic poem': here, it is the metaphor that serves the music and not the contrary.

“Andrew Manze has had the ingenious idea of coupling the Eroica with the set of contredanses in which the theme of the symphony’s finale first appeared, and with the finale of Beethoven’s ballet score The Creatures of Prometheus, the melody’s second appearance. What makes the disc exceptional, however, is the superb clarity and incisiveness of the performances. The splendid Swedish orchestra plays the Eroica as if discovering and revelling in its beauty and audacity for the first time. Manze sets a spanking tempo for the opening movement, but always gives the music room to breathe, and the rest is equally inspiring.” Sunday Times, 15th June 2008 ****

“Precise drive in the Scherzo, with brazen horns in the Trio, presages a finale of real stature.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2008