A decisive interpretation, reinforced by a near-flawless and totally committed performance, and driven by an energy and vitality that conductors half the age of the venerable octogenarian Mackerras could only dream of emulating. The confidence and challenge intrinsic to the great symphony bounded off the page, flowed through conductor and orchestra and filled the auditorium, whose near-capacity audience was gripped. That grip remained fast for the duration: through the pulsing virility of the first movement and an amazing account of the second where Sir Charles and the SCO at once maintained a swift momentum while creating an illusion of unhurried expansiveness, crept through a stealthily-introduced scherzo and, in a wonderfully controlled flow of tension and release, exploded into a finale whose effect was as cathartic as it was climactic. This Beethoven Five was a seamlessly integrated interpretation and performance which refreshed the best known of all symphonies. That’s why it was special. This performance was suffused with the shock of the new’ (Glasgow Herald) ----------------------------------- GRAMOPHONE AWARDS SHORTLIST 2008 SUNDAY TIMES CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK CLASSIC FM CD OF THE WEEK SUNDAY TIMES BEST OF THE YEAR 'SUPERSONIC' AWARD, PIZZICATO MAGAZINE SUNDAY TIMES CLASSICAL CD OF THE YEAR THE TIMES CLASSICAL CD OF THE YEAR DAVID MELLOR'S CD OF THE YEAR 'The latest thoughts of this always stimulating and searching Beethovenian are welcome indeed … His tempi are wonderfully fleet, without sounding driven … Mackerras allows the music to unfold so naturally that you are hardly aware of the conductor's presence - although the wealth of details that seems to rise organically out of the perfomances, rather than being artificially highlighted, reveals the wisdom of a master interpreter … This is a Beethoven cycle to live with' (The Sunday Times) 'Mackerras's rapport with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is exceptional, leading not only to stylish performances but also to conveying an infectious sense of enjoyment … A set that takes some beating for all-round satisfaction' (Sunday Telegraph) 'If there has been a more thrilling and elemental Beethoven cycle than this new Charles Mackerras set made in the last two decades, I certainly haven't heard it. This is a great cycle, and one that leapfrogs straight into the pantheon of indispensable recordings of these works … This is a Beethoven red in tooth and claw, a questing revolutionary who took the symphony by the scruff of its neck and produced a series of nine astonishing masterpieces as a consequence … The revelations of the Hyperion set make it even more desirable … what survives the transfer from concert-hall to disc is the towering authority and searing urgency of these performances … In the first two symphonies, Mackerras catches the urgency and rhythmic life of Beethoven's music with inspiring vigour … The SCO plays with total conviction, and attention to detail means that inner parts do much to energize the music, to light it in from within … An immediacy and sheer musicality that is enthralling … If you already have one Beethoven cycle - or a dozen of them - I would still urge you to investigate the marvellous new set on Hyperion: it is one of the most compelling and imaginative to have appeared for many years, and it is certianly one of the front-runners among those currently available. I can't think of another I'd rather hear … There's not a weak link in the cycle, the playing is both red-hot and immensely stylish, and Mackerras's conducting has a fire, life, expressive intensity and volcanic energy that let us rediscover these great works anew. It's simply magnificent' (International Record Review)