The Complete Beethoven Symphonies

These symphonies were my introduction to classical music, back in the day of vinyl. I am glad to have them again in a modern format that will probably outlive me. They have celebrated my highs and consoled my lows for nearly forty years. The Third, "Eroica," tells a story of tragedy and triumph over adversity. The Morse code "V for victory" theme of the Fifth, the most famous of all classical motifs, calls me in the footsteps of my family, for whom it shouted defiance to tyranny. The Sixth, Pastoral, could be a theme song for us environmental wackos and Bambi lovers. It was my first introduction to Beethoven with Disney's famous mythological setting in "Fantasia." Every performance of the Seventh reminds me that Benny Goodman really did not invent "swing." And the Ninth, Choral, with its Ode to Joy, brings it all together: All men are brothers, and every creature, from angels to worms, has his place before God's throne. Even the ticktock rhythm of the Eighth, which some authorities maintain is Beethoven's bow to Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, the inventor of a musical chronometer, recalls my father's Maelzel metronome. These symphonies are the heart of my musical and philosophical heritage. I live by them.Read full review