Album: Paavo Järvi, Beethoven: Symphony No 9 (RCA Red Seal)

Reviewed by Andy Gill, The Independent
Friday, 15 January, 2010

In some interpretations of Beethoven's 9th, it can seem like three lengthy preambles to the Greatest Tune Ever Written, a sustained bout of deferred gratification; but not in this latest performance by Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.

Which is not to say the finale here doesn't deliver completely. The exuberance of the first two movements is epitomised by the flamboyant gusto of the tympani towards the conclusion of the second section, before the third movement is treated with a great tenderness and sensitivity. Even if you think you know the work intimately, Järvi's interpretation will likely render it afresh in many ways, a precious gift from a major talent.