Beethoven 9 – Discovering Beethoven: Symphony No. 8

The monumental achievement of Christian Thielemann and the Wiener Philharmoniker forms the basis for this series of stimulating yet highly entertaining films that supplement “Beethoven 9”. They guide the viewer into the cosmos of Beethoven’s symphonies – and into Christian Thielemann’s conception of them. Each 60-minute program focuses on one particular symphony, which it presents in the context of Beethoven’s oeuvre, Thielemann’s interpretation, and the work’s artistic and historical position. While Thielemann introduces the viewer to the fine points of his interpretation, the renowned music critic Joachim Kaiser depicts the unique features of the work and the interpretation, and provides revealing comparisons with other readings of the Beethoven symphonies. In so doing, Kaiser is able to draw upon a treasure that only UNITEL is able to provide: the recordings of the legendary Beethoven cycles with Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, concert productions with acknowledged Beethoven experts such as Böhm and Kleiber, as well as recordings of Beethoven symphonies with world stars of today such as Gustavo Dudamel and Paavo Järvi.