Robert Trevino, Malmo Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Live) (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

This new Beethoven symphony cycle with Malmö Symphony Orchestra is conductor Robert Trevino’s debut release on Ondine. Trevino is one of the fastest rising young conductors and known for his fresh and vivid interpretations of both standard repertoire as well as contemporary works. Currently Trevino is holding the tenure as chief conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and as music director of the Basque National Orchestra. After studies with conductors David Zinman, Seiji Ozawa and Michael Tilson Thomas, Trevino worked closely as Leif Segerstam’s assistant before making his debuts with a number of leading symphony orchestras worldwide. These Beethoven symphonies were recorded in connection with a Beethoven festival which was arranged in Malmö, Sweden in October, 2019.

How intriguing! American conductor Robert Treviño has dedicated his debut release with Ondine to Beethoven’s symphony cycle. This is the first time the Finnish label has visited these landmarks of Western symphonic culture with a traditional Scandinavian orchestra, namely the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, which will celebrate its centenary in 2025. With a rather faded palette of sound-colour and a smooth legato, this is undoubtedly a traditional version of the nine symphonies that transports us back to an era of discographies from Herbert von Karajan and Otto Klemperer. But by no means does it belong in the past…

Treviño has worked closely with the likes of Leif Segerstam, David Zinman and Michael Tilson Thomas, the two latter conductors having, incidentally, made many interventions of their own in the Beethovenian symphonies as each attempted to produce worthy reinterpretations. Tilson Thomas drastically reduced the number of musicians in his complete cycle for CBS, whilst David Zinman based his work on Jonathan Del Mar’s Barenreiter edition which restored many of the lost accents and phrases that had been altered from one hundred and fifty years of, at times, rather unscrupulous interpretations. Here, Robert Treviño’s interpretations are lyrical and rich, precise as regards polyphony and mindful of the need to find a balance rather than overstress the text. Treviño ensures that each section finds its proper place and doesn’t get lost in the overall composition, creating dialogues with a chamber-like aesthetic. The unusual “concertato” at the beginning of the last movement of Eroica is the prime example of this. – Pierre-Yves Lascar

Tracklist:
1. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio (Live) (08:57)
2. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Andante cantabile con moto (Live) (07:47)
3. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Minuet. Allegro molto e vivace (Live) (03:22)
4. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Finale. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace (Live) (05:40)
5. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio (Live) (11:44)
6. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Larghetto (Live) (11:54)
7. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Scherzo. Allegro (Live) (03:24)
8. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Allegro molto (Live) (06:18)
9. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Allegro con brio (Live) (17:29)
10. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai (Live) (15:45)
11. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace (Live) (05:43)
12. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Finale. Allegro molto (Live) (12:05)
13. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Adagio – Allegro vivace (Live) (11:35)
14. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Adagio (Live) (10:01)
15. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Allegro vivace (Live) (05:24)
16. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Allegro ma non troppo (Live) (07:07)
17. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Allegro con brio (Live) (06:48)
18. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Andante con moto (Live) (09:43)
19. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Scherzo. Allegro (Live) (04:50)
20. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Allegro (Live) (10:25)
21. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Live) (12:03)
22. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Scene am Bach (Live) (12:55)
23. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Live) (05:04)
24. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Gewitter. Sturm (Live) (03:35)
25. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm (Live) (09:43)
26. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace (Live) (13:18)
27. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Allegretto (Live) (08:43)
28. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Presto (Live) (09:10)
29. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 IV. Allegro con brio (Live) (08:20)
30. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Allegro vivace e con brio (Live) (09:22)
31. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Allegretto scherzando (Live) (03:59)
32. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Tempo di menuetto (Live) (04:31)
33. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – IV. Allegro vivace (Live) (07:33)
34. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (Live) (14:28)
35. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – II. Scherzo. Molto vivace – Presto (Live) (13:27)
36. Malmö Symphony Orchestra – III. Adagio molto e cantabile (Live) (14:31)
37. Kate Royal – IV. Presto (Live) (24:00)