The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks has already performed several Beethoven symphony cycles in the concert hall. Its chief conductor Mariss Jansons has now extended and enhanced the cycle concept, with guest performances in Tokyo's Suntory Hall with its excellent acoustics and the publication of live recordings of these outstanding concert events.

The live recording of Beethoven's Symphony No.9 was made in 2012 in Tokyo's Suntory Hall with its spectacularly good acoustics, and was extremely well received by the public and press. Soon after the tour, the Music Pen Club of Japan praised Mariss Jansons for his "new, modern and transparent-sounding Beethoven".

Christiane Karg, Mihoko Fujimura, Michael Schade and Michael Volle, all of whom have worked regularly with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, can be heard as the vocal soloists.