First performed in Vienna in 1803 with Beethoven conducting, the Second
Symphony exhibits a daring departure from the traditional form. In a
classical symphony, the third movement was always a minuet; Beethoven
replaces it with a Scherzo, a quick-paced musical form in three-quarter
time. While working on this symphony, Beethoven was undergoing an enormous
personal crisis: the growing deafness that was to cause him inordinate
anguish. This recording is part of Bernstein's complete cycle of Beethoven
symphonies recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra live in Vienna.
The series won the Ace Award, the U.S. Cable TV Association's top award for
outstanding quality and entertainment value. Bernstein's impassioned
renderings of Beethoven move audiences in a unique way. "Beethoven has
always meant universality to me, ever since my early adolescence, when I
first heard that unforgettable cry of 'Brüder!'. From that moment on,
every... symphony came to mean heart-to-heart communication, travelling
satellite-fashion via the cosmos itself. I offer [this cycle] to all music-
loving ears as a testament of faith and of my most profound reactions to
this greatest of all composers." (Leonard Bernstein, 1980)
The DVD is also released within the complete "Beethoven / Bernstein" DVD package which is available in selected stores worldwide and through Amazon or JPC.