Van Swieten Society - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 3 (Chamber Arrangements) (2014) CD-Rip

The symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) were immensely popular at the beginning of the 19th century. However, performances of these masterpieces were relatively rare, and not every music lover was in a position to hear orchestral concerts on a regular basis. For this reason, many were destined to enjoy their favourite symphonic works in the form of arrangements that they played at home themselves. ... There were quite a few composers yet to come who would arrange all of the Beethovens symphonies for a specific instrumental combination. There were well-known composers such as Franz Liszt who arranged all the symphonies for solo piano, and less famous figures like Hugo Ulrich who composed four-hand arrangements of the works. The wealth of arrangements of these symphonic masterpieces leaves no room to dispute the fact that Beethovens symphonies were more often heard in chamber music form than in their original symphonic orchestration. This is true of Beethovens time as well as for a long time thereafter. With the establishment of professional orchestras across the Western world, the demand for these chamber arrangements dwindled and the development of the gramophone recording put an end to their importance completely. The Van Swieten Society is eager to bring this forgotten style of performing symphonic works back to life, complete with original period instruments of the era and the accompanying stylistic expressive language.