You need to hear these…

Welcome to ‘Dodd’s DSD Discoveries’, a review series from NativeDSD Senior Music Reviewer Bill Dodd. This series focuses on Bill’s latest selections, with new reviews regularly.

There is no better example of why we do these “discoveries” than this recording of Beethoven’s 4^th and 8^th Symphonies with Bernard Haitink and the London Symphony Orchestra. Recently I saw an online review from David Hurwitz that made me want to revisit this album.

I’m glad I did!

I don’t care how many recordings you may have, you need to hear these. Haitink’s tempos are lively, and there is a feeling of delightful involvement that I do not find on most other recordings of these often overlooked symphonies.

I’ve often thought of Haitink as an Old Master, but I found his two previous Beethoven cycles not nearly as exciting or interesting as his final one, live with the LSO (available here individually, or as a bundle). This release with the Fourth and the Eighth simply blew me away with a fresh listen! It should be in every Beethoven fanatic’s library. It’s become my go-to for B4 and B8.

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