The 'Pastoral' symphony is one of Beethoven's most consistently popular works, evoking feelings of the natural world's beauty. The symphony embodies the spirit of the dawning Romantic era in its depiction of the countryside, and allowed Beethoven to express his love of nature and the outdoors. At the time of its completion, the Second Symphony was probably the longest yet composed. Written while he was coming to terms with the onset of deafness, it is surprisingly light hearted and cheerful.

Reviews:

Editor's Choice Gramophone

CD of the Week 'a fantastic performance - pure music-making by a great conductor and an orchestra that responds magnificently to his every request' Classic FM

'simply masterful Beethoven ... Capped by a magisterial account of the Ninth Symphony, this is the Beethoven set for our time. Even if you already have umpteen other recordings of these works, you really owe it to yourself to hear this new set. It's a deeply satisfying musical experience' Chicago Tribune

'The fruitful influence of the historically minded period instrument movement on mainstream interpretation is vividly exemplified on this spanking disc by the LSO under a rejuvenated Bernard Haitink. The Second Symphony springs out at us with a freshness and intense physicality ... but also with a most sensitive attention to detail ... the Pastoral is a delight, recapturing the composer's excitement as he arrives in his beloved countryside' Sunday Times

'outstandingly well played ... There is a oneness of conception here which is superb - quite remarkable and ultimately wholly convincing. I'll let you into a secret: I have many recordings of the Beethoven symphonies in my collection but if anyone where to ask me which version of the Pastoral Iwould recommend, I would first of all direct them to this one' International Record Review

'the second release in the already legendary series ... By theBrook has surely never been more beautifully played than it is here ... There is a creaminess about the performance that is very difficult to capture on record' MusicOMH.com

'it is hard to imagine more profoundly satisfying accounts than these ... The playing of the LSO is quite magnificent' BBC Music Magazine

'Bernard Haitink elicits ravishing sounds from LondonSymphony ... an undeniably great performance ... Among the hundreds of recordings of this favorite work, you really can't do better' Dallas Morning News

'Utter composure and authority drawn from a lifetime of musical exploration inform Bernard Haitink's latest Beethoven release with the LSO. The attention to detail is breathtaking. Vintage stuff' The Scotsman

---

James Mallinson Producer; Jonathan Stokes for Classic Sound Ltd Sound engineer; ; Recorded November 2005, Barbican, London; DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording