The Fourth Symphony was first performed in Vienna in 1807 at the home of
one of Beethoven's patrons, Prince Franz Joseph Lobkowitz. Compared with
the Third Symphony, the Fourth is more modest and traditional; its style
and structure are closer to the Second. The Fourth Symphony is not a
monumental work; on the contrary, the orchestra is the smallest for any
Beethoven symphony. The gentle harmony and placidity of this symphony
prompted the French composer Hector Berlioz to comment about the second
movement: "...the being who wrote such a marvel of inspiration... was not
human." This recording is part of Bernstein's complete cycle of Beethoven
symphonies recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra live in Vienna.
The series won the Ace Award, the U.S. Cable TV Association's top award for
outstanding quality and entertainment value. Bernstein's impassioned
renderings of Beethoven move audiences in a unique way. "Beethoven has
always meant universality to me, ever since my early adolescence, when I
first heard that unforgettable cry of 'Brüder!'. From that moment on,
every... symphony came to mean heart-to-heart communication, travelling
satellite-fashion via the cosmos itself. I offer [this cycle] to all music-
loving ears as a testament of faith and of my most profound reactions to
this greatest of all composers." (Leonard Bernstein, 1980)
The DVD is also released within the complete "Beethoven / Bernstein" DVD package which is available in selected stores worldwide and through Amazon or JPC.