BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 • Franz Welser-Möst, cond; Measha Brueggergosman (sop); Kelley O’Connor (mez); Frank Lopardo (ten); René Pape (bs); Cleveland O & Ch (Robert Porco, dir) • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 000966102 (66:07 Text and Translation) Live: Cleveland 1/2007

It is heartening for those of us Luddites happily mired back in the 20th century that DG has released this recording, not only as a digital download, but also on CD (in pretty spectacular stereo, too). It is also a pleasure to welcome the first commercial recording in seven years by one of this country’s finest orchestras under its current music director. All things considered, I looked forward to this recording with keen anticipation. I was not disappointed.

The sound is immediate, detailed, and bass-heavy: the winds and low strings benefit, while the violins sound somewhat recessed; the basses are remarkably deep and resonant, easily the most impressive I’ve heard in quite some time, though the balance tends to direct the listener’s attention toward the right channel (especially in the first movement). Never having had the pleasure of visiting Severance Hall, I can only speculate that the listener’s perspective is from midhall; at any rate, the excitement of the live concert setting is vividly communicated.

Welser-Möst’s timings are midway between the monumentally scaled Barenboim (30:5) and the metronome-conscious Zander and Gardiner, but the performance isn’t monolithic—the pace of the finale should please even the staunchest authenticist. This is the kind of performance that results when conception and execution mesh—one of those recordings you can sing along with, and not just in the finale; it is also tremendously exciting.

Some of the more notable highlights: an opening movement in which the excitement is communicated through playing of admirable precision, particularly for a live recording; the clarity of the inner voices in the Scherzo; an Adagio in which the cantabile marking is given voice in violins that are particularly poignant; and a finale in which the drama is palpable—powerful, deeply eloquent, and very musical. The Cleveland Chorus is inspired (though the recorded balance tends to favor the men). The vocal quartet features two standout soloists: Pape delivers another riveting performance, summoning the spirit of brotherhood with authority, and Brueggergosman’s voice soars above the orchestra with seeming effortlessness. The coda is breathtaking, and the audience erupts, initiating an ovation that surely continued for quite some time.

This recording continues the proud legacy of Beethoven Ninths established by such former music directors as George Szell and Christoph von Dohnányi; it is the kind of performance that is refreshing and familiar all at once. One other aspect of the recording that bears mention is the program note written by Welser-Möst: in a piece titled “Politics, Religion and the Enlightenment,” the conductor explores the perennial appeal of Beethoven’s masterwork. This throwback to the days when musicians held forth on the back of LP sleeves adds yet another dimension to this release. I hope this splendid disc portends a long-range commitment by DG for more recordings—and more CDs, please—from Welser-Möst and the magnificent Cleveland Orchestra.

FANFARE: Christopher Abbot