Beethoven - Symphony No. 7. Sir Thomas Beecham & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 1959. (Mono)

This is one of my favorite versions of Beethoven's Symphony No.7. The combination of conductor and orchestra is not one that I would have expected to play with such precision and tightness, sounding in many ways more like George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. There are details in this recording that I rarely hear in other performances. One example is how clear the French Horns are in some of the fortissimo parts, such as in the final movement. Capital Records is not one of the companies that comes to mind for great recordings (and in this case the original mastering was by His Master's Voice in the UK.) However Capital did an excellent job in releasing this version. Tracks: 00:00 Poco Sostenuto - Vivace 11:26 Allegretto 21:49 Presto - Assai Meno Presto - Presto - Assai Meno Presto - Allegro Con Brio 29:52 Allegro Con Brio Details: Title: Beethoven Symphony No.7 Released by: Capital Records G2322 Year released: 1959 Orchestra: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Sir Thomas Beecham