J. Buxton
| 07/06/2004 (4 out of 5 stars) I purchased this 9th separately from the rest of Rattle s VPO Beethoven cycle based on many reviews I ve read and most reviewers had good things to say about the 9th so I thought I would give it a try. First, let me say this is an excellent recording, the VPO sounds outstanding as they should, the Birmingham chorus is nothing short of remarkable, and the quartet of soloists is very good (if a bit recessed in the recording). Rattle uses the del Mar edition and there is much to enjoy here, especially the wonderful accents in the choral section and several amazingly powerful crescendos throughout. I have one major complaint that keeps this from being my top recommendation and that is the simply bizarre point in the finale toward the very end of the symphony where Rattle almosts silences the chorus for several seconds to let us hear the piccolo part loud and clear. It is not clear why Rattle chooses to do this as it adds nothing to the