The album release itself was a surprise, but so was the distribution plan. The orchestra issued it as a digital download and on CD under a new label called Colorado Symphony Multimedia & Recording. (Naxos of America will help distribute the music.)
The move puts the Denver orchestra in a league with the Seattle Symphony, San Francisco Symphony and other major ensembles that run their own record labels.
The orchestra recorded the album with Prinicipal Guest Conductor Andrew Litton -- along with the Colorado Symphony Chorus, led by director Duain Wolfe -- in September 2014. The music was recorded at Boettcher Concert Hall, though not in front of a live audience, a symphony representative said.
Listeners get another chance to hear Beethoven's Ninth played live by the symphony next Friday and Saturday with conductor Brett Mitchell, who assumes the role of music director this fall.
The symphony earned strong reviews for its recent disc of Aaron Copland music, also conducted by Litton. The album landed on CPR Classical's list of favorite albums of 2016.
