On Air Now
Notes from Italy with Freddie De Tommaso 9pm - 10pm
This image appears in the gallery:
Classic FM's Essential Beethoven Recordings
Aside from the fifth symphony, Beethoven openings don't get much bigger than this. Whether you're Wilhelm Furtwängler with your super-slow intro or stately and quiet like Christian Thielemann, conductors have a hard time with this one. Richard Chailly, however, rattles through it and sounds like he's having an absolute ball - look out for the explosive ending.