Takashi Asahina, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra - Beethoven: Complete Symphonies (2008) [Hi-Res, DSD64]

"Born on July 9, 1908 in Tokyo, Maestro Asahina taught himself the violin and played in the Kyoto University Law School Orchestra. He graduated at the Kyoto University in 1931 with a law degree because his family insisted on a legal career and he stuck with it for as long as he could. Before he became a professional conductor, he joined an Osaka law firm, worked as a sales clerk in a department store and for the Kankyu railway company. One of his favorite jokes was that he was probably the world's only conductor to have operated a train.
Maestro Asahina founded the Kansai Symphony Orchestra, now the Osaka Philharmonic, and remained as its musical director until he passed away on December 29, 2001 at the age of 93. He started his international career in 1956 which he gave a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. Asahina met Furtwängler in the early 1950s. Furtwängler discussed his views on conducting Bruckner, and Bruckner became one of Asahina's specialties.
Though Asahina often chose to use slower tempi, he managed to get his orchestra to sustain the line over long phrases. Bar lines disappeared, he conducted in paragraphs, not sentences. His sonority was built from the bottom up, founded on the basses and cellos, and also built around a rich string sound. Although the music had force and power, it was never angular, never overly aggressive. It always had beauty, an inner beauty and even spirituality. --Martin Anderson"


Tracks:

CD 1

Symphony No.1 in C major Op.21
01. I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio (10:39)
02. II. Andante cantabile con moto (9:32)
03. III. Menuetto Allegro molto e vivace (3:50)
04. IV. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace (6:41)
Rec: 2000.07.23 Suntory Hall, Tokyo
Symphony No.2 in D major Op.36
05. I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio (13:19)
06. II. Larghetto (12:21)
07. III. Scherzo. Allegro (3:53)
08. IV. Allegro molto (6:41)
Rec: 2000.03.10 Fesitval Hall, Osaka


CD 2

Symphony No.3 in E-flat major Op.55 'Eroica'
01. I. Allegro con brio (19:38)
02. II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai (18:26)
03. III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace (6:09)
04. IV. Finale. Allegro molto (13:55)
Rec: 2000.07.23 Suntory Hall, Tokyo


CD 3

Symphony No.4 in B-flat major Op.60
01. I. Adagio - Allegro vivace (12:59)
02. II. Adagio (11:13)
03. III. Allegro vivace - Un poco meno allegro (6:16)
04. IV. Allegro ma non troppo (8:31)
Rec: 2000.05.03 ACROS Fukuoka, Symphony Hall
Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67
05. I. Allegro con brio (8:42)
06. II. Andante con moto (10:12)
07. III. Allegro (5:32)
08. IV. Allegro (11:43)
Rec: 2000.05.10 The Symphony Hall, Osaka


CD 4

Symphony No.6 in F major Op.68 'Pastorale'
01. SI. Erwachen heiterer Gefuhle bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande Allegro ma non troppo (12:44)
02. II. Szene am Bach Andante molto mosso (12:44)
03. III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute Allegro (5:24)
04. IV. Gewitter,Sturm - Allegro (4:02)
05. V. Hirtengesang-Frohe und dankbare Gefuhle nach dem Sturm Allegretto (10:24)
Rec: 2000.03.10 Festival Hall, Osaka


CD 5

Symphony No.7 in A major Op.92
01. I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace (15:33)
02. II. Allegretto (9:47)
03. III. Presto (12:03)
04. IV. Allegro con brio (9:42)
Symphony No.8 in F major Op.93
05. I. Allegro vivace e con brio (10:31)
06. II. Allegretto scherzando (4:10)
07. III. Tempo di menuetto (5:06)
08. IV. Allegro vivace (9:15)
Rec: 2000.09.24 The Symphony Hall, Osaka


CD 6

Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op.125 'Choral'
01. I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (17:33)
02. II. Molto vivace (15:02)
03. III. Adagio molto e cantabile (15:53)
04. IV. Presto Recitativo (6:23)
05. Presto - Allegro assai, Final Chorus from Schiller's An die Freude (18:45)
Emiko Suga, soprano / Naoko Ihara, alto / Kei Fukui, tenor / Michio Tatara, baritone
Osaka Philharmonic Chorus
Rec: 2000.12.29 Festival Hall, Osaka