Three Gs and an E flat, declaimed Ta-ta-ta-taaa!, is perhaps the best known phrase in all of classical music. The notes form the opening motif of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, a work that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its first performance in 1808.

This album presents various interpretations the symphony’s opening movement has received from a number of conductors, including Otto Klemperer (1885–1973), Michael Gielen (1927–2019), Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1923–2017) and Ádám Fischer (b. 1949), giving the listener convenient comparisons and historic hindsight. Additionally, Robert Trevino conducts the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in a recording of the complete work, while Konstantin Scherbakov complements the collection with a performance of Liszt’s transcription of the work for solo piano.