Out of Print Gems: Beethoven

London Records - most widely known for having issued the Rolling Stones' albums through Sticky Fingers - was a pioneering classical label throughout the 1950s and 60s, whose output helped to standardize the 12" 33⅓ RPM format and remains remarkable to this day for its consistently outstanding quality. The 1966 recording of Beethoven's immortal Ninth symphony done by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt for London fits the template perfectly. The engineering is immaculate, and the music is warm and clear. The performances, featuring the famous soprano Joan Sutherland, are terrific across the board; the vocal soloists in particular are strong, managing to be expressive without succumbing to the vaguely strained frenzy that often characterizes the last movement. The recording was issued once on CD (in 1988) but has since fallen sadly out of print. It's nonetheless a worthy candidate in the eternal search for the best recording of one of history's most famous pieces of music. Interested parties can download it here.