If you would like to vote for this cd please vote HERE

The poetry of Freedom is the name the conductor Kent Nagano gave to his latest album, released under the Sony label on 7^th October. It is the last chapter of the complete symphonies of the German composer performed by the American conductor from the stand of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

We cannot help wondering – yet another series of the complete symphonies by Beethoven? Yes, the area is of such a large scope, there are so many ways of expressing the most intense feelings and life experiences, that any new staging is welcome; yes, when this production is suggested by a conductor well-known for his elegant discourse, preoccupations and broadened horizon.

A negative answer could lead to the type of pleading which Kent Nagano himself suggests in his book, that came out in Berlin almost at the same time this last Beethoven album did – Expect the Unexpected. ‘It would be a loss – the conductor generally refers to the classical music phenomenon – a loss that would not only impoverish the society’s cultural perspective, but also cause a lack of inspiration, wisdom, deep feelings and  community sense.’

What is Kent Nagano’s pleading in favour of Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 2 and No. 4? Along with the special connotations that the author assigned to each album, he finds the message of Beethoven’s music to be tied to the reality we are experiencing ourselves today, which is why the artist is out contemporary. Nagano expresses the same quality through the energy he impregnates into music where the score needs it; he is very careful about details and the original tempos; very scrupulous about the historical accuracy when it comes to the art of interpreting and yet extremely modern.

We keep in mind the main idea – this priceless poetry of liberty, which is better, or even best expressed through the music.

You can listen to the album on Monday, 27^th October, during the CD Review rubric (at 11:30) within the Arpeggio programme. It is included in our Vote the Best Classical Album of 2014 campaign.