Canter Bridge

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Naxos cut its teeth on this kind of recording. Two sturdy Beethoven symphonies are played by a Central European (in this case Hungarian) orchestra with good, serviceable effect.

This CD will not knock your socks off. It will get you into Beethoven in a way that honors the composer and costs you but a song.

This is the kind of CD that broke classical recordings out of the elitist box and into the arena where just about anyone with a will and a small number of dollars can own quality music.

I say ‘Bravo!’ to Naxos and ‘well done!’ to Béla Drahos and his compatriots.