MTT and SFS release new Beethoven recording

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony will release a hybrid SACD recording and digital download of Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II and Symphony No. 2 on SFS Media, the Orchestra’s in-house label, on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

MTT describes Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II as “.. powerful, dramatic, and full of very vivid contrasts, with a particular fresh simplicity which is unforgettable.”

The recording can be pre-ordered on iTunes and on SACD from the San Francisco Symphony Store. The album features the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and soloists Sally Matthews, soprano; Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano; Barry Banks, tenor; and Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone. The original performance was recorded live at Davies Symphony Hall May 2-3, 2013 during MTT and the Orchestra’s two-week festival exploring Beethoven’s early inspirations.

Preview the album here.