Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (Live)

Filmed in the London Symphony Orchestra’s own rehearsal space under 2020’s social distancing rules—the orchestra spaced out over a huge floor area—this collection finds Sir Simon Rattle overseeing a taut performance of a work that he must have conducted dozens of times. This extraordinary symphony’s timeless impact comes across vividly, and is made yet more poignant by the fact that this was one of the first times orchestra and conductor came together after a long, musically barren summer. The magical moment that leads into the finale—so often a measure of a fine performance—doesn’t disappoint. Indeed, here, the movement explodes into life.