The very first installment, released in December 2004, caused the reviewer in International Record Review to state that "Vanska's Beethoven looks set to be a front-runner among the historically unprejudiced cycles now available." After that each new release in Osmo Vanska's cycle of Beethoven's symphonies with the Minnesota Orchestra has been treated as an occasion in the international music press; reviewers one by one discovering "one of the finest performances of the Funeral March ever recorded," "a Pastoral of uncommon beauty," "an Eighth of reference quality." Some of the greatest music ever, in electrifying performances and state-of-the-art recordings, is now available as a boxed set in full SACD/Surround Sound glory. And at a highly competitive price it even includes comprehensive liner notes by Beethoven expert Barry Cooper.