All Music Guide - Blair Sanderson Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields present two of Ludwig van Beethoven's most graceful and buoyant symphonies for this Sony release and play them with a lightness and freshness that many listeners will welcome. Bell makes his recording debut as a conductor with this 2013 CD, and his adoption of historically informed practices ensures that the music has clean textures and brisk tempos, qualities long associated with the Academy's tradition of playing Beethoven in the spirit of the Classical era. Once past the solemn Adagio introduction, the "Symphony No. 4 in B flat major" is effervescent and unrestrained in its cheerfulness, and Bell's light touch ...
See more details below
