The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conclude their journey of releasing the complete Beethoven Symphonies.

“Beethoven’s voice is as fresh and powerful today as it was when he created those masterpieces,” said Noseda. “To approach Beethoven is a journey. You know you are starting the journey, but you never know where the journey will take you. With Beethoven, any moment is a discovery.”

Capturing the complete Beethoven Symphonies was a multi-year project, with the performances and recordings spanning the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 seasons. The recordings of Symphonies nos. 1 & 3 were released in 2022, followed by nos. 4 & 5, 6 & 8, and 2 & 7 in 2023. Symphony no.9 was recorded with special guest artists Camilla Tilling (soprano), Kelley O’Connor (mezzo-soprano), Issachah Savage (tenor), Ryan McKinny (bass-baritone), and the Washington Chorus.

These performances and recordings have earned critical acclaim. The Washington Post said, “If there was a question as to why the world needs another recorded Beethoven cycle, Noseda gamely offered the first few notes of an answer.” Washington Classical Review said the performance of no.2 was “undeniably fresh and thrilling.” BBC Music Magazine praised the recordings of Symphonies nos. 4 & 5 as having been played with “an energizing injection of sheer excitement.” The Washington Post praised the performance of Symphony no.7 in May of 2023 as “powerful” and “rousing”.

The box set includes cover art by the Kennedy Center’s first Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems. In creating the Beethoven Abstracted designs for the cover art, Willems said, “I got to know Beethoven in a new way. When you listen to a symphony you are invited into a dialogue with its creator. I had the opportunity to see his technique change over his career and to feel the journey of his musical notes.” Also included in the box set are two Pure Audio Blu-ray discs that contain all symphonies and a bonus video of no.9.

The complete Beethoven Symphonies continue the legacy of the NSO’s rich recording history, which began in the 1940s. Under its own label the NSO released a pairing of Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid and Dvořák’s Symphony no.9, “From the New World”, in 2020, and the complete George Walker Sinfonias in September of 2023. For its achievement in performances and recordings, the NSO was nominated for the 2023 Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award.