This is the fifth and final volume in a cycle of the complete symphonies of Beethoven being released by conductor Jan Willem de Vriend and the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. This disc features the composer’s 9th Symphony known as the “Choral” and, as with previous recordings in the series, it is being made available as a hybrid SACD.

Jan Willem de Vriend is the artistic director of Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and, since 2006, has been the chief conductor and artistic director of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. De Vriend has been a guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Written in 1824, the Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op.125 is Beethoven’s final complete symphony. It has come to be known as the “Choral Symphony”, and is the first example of a major work of its type to incorporate voices. The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the "Ode to Joy", a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer.