In early 2008, EMI reissued a handful of
Klaus Tennstedt's recordings from the 1980s, among which are these exceptional performances of
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F major and his Symphony No. 6 in F major, "Pastoral," played with meticulous execution, luminous tone, and responsive feeling by the
London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tennstedt's recorded legacy is not large, certainly not in proportion to the greatness of his reputation, so seeing performances from his peak years appear in the Encore budget series gives one hope that this small discography will endure in some form well into the future. Both performances here benefit from
Tennstedt's profound musicality, and his warm emotions, appealing wit, and breadth of artistic vision make one wish his recording career had not been so brief. The Symphony No. 8, played with a whimsical if not quite ironic air, is captured with remarkably full sound in the 1985 digital recording, and the Symphony No. 6, recorded a year later, is even better in its resonant tone and delightful ambience, making it the most gemütlich of the performances. EMI's reproduction is somewhat different in the two recordings, sounding a bit dry in the Eighth and more open and spacious in the "Pastoral," so listeners may find the sound quality of the latter performance preferable.