Bruno Walter - Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68

The famed recording returns in a premier vinyl reissue from Analogue Productions!

Now cut at 45 RPM on 2LPs!

Mastered from the original 3-track tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound!

Deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket from Stoughton Printing w/ rare photos

180-gram LPs pressed at Acoustic Sounds' state-of-the-art pressing plant, Quality Record Pressings

Bruno Walter helped shape the very essence of interpretive style among conductors. Walter's rendition of Beethoven's sixth symphony is perhaps the greatest ever recorded — his reading of the score comes off sounding like a piece of literature or poetry, but that is a great thing and perfectly blends with the music to create a benchmark recording.

And here, once again, Analogue Productions has taken a classic and shaped it to make the premier reissue of this famed LP. Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound mastered this album from the original analog tapes. The cut lacquers were plated and pressed to 180-gram vinyl by our own Quality Record Pressings. The Stoughton Printing old-style tip-on gatefold jacket has been upgraded handsomely by a series of rarely-seen photos of Walter from the Sony Music Archives. Everything about this reissue radiates quality.

Now with Analogue Production's 45 RPM release, the best-sounding version of this historic album gives listeners an even richer sonic experience. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately.

Written in 1808, Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major ("Pastoral"), Op. 68, is deemed one of the most influential by the famed composer. Unlike the vast majority of assumed names by which his works have become known, Beethoven directed from the very outset that his sixth symphony be titled "Pastoral Symphony," or a recollection of country life. It was a musical approach to the forces of nature that inspired Beethoven.

Walter's late life was marked by stereo recordings with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of professional musicians assembled by Columbia Records for recordings.

Originally released in 1958, this recording still sounds fresh, with a broad soundstage, persuasive depth, and a remarkable sense of "air" and presence. Simply because of Walter's vibrant, fluid interpretation, taking into account both variable tempi and heightened accents, the result is one of the most passionate, awe-inspiring recorded versions of this symphony that's ever been recorded.

1. I. Allegro ma non troppo (The awakening of joyful feelings upon arrival in the country)

2. II. Andante molto moto (The Brook)

3. III. Allegro (Village Festival)

4. IV. Allegro (The Storm)

5. V. Allegretto (Shepherd's Song)

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