Beethovenfest!
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra present two pieces by the illustrious composer, each representing an innovation in the career of classical music's most famous and influential figure.
Programme:
His only concerto for the violin, Concerto in D Major: Opus 61 has been widely regarded as his happiest work. Composed for his friend Franz Clement, the work was largely lost after it's 1806 premiere, and it was only upon it's 1844 performance by child-genius Joseph Joachim that it gained the notoriety it still enjoys today as one of the world's most popular classical works.
No salute the maestro would be complete without the epic Symphony No. 9 in D Minor: Opus 125. The last of his works, this noble opus was composed when he was almost totally deaf and yet he still inserted the choral section, a first for a major composer at the time. Voices blend majestically through 'Ode to Joy', creating a powerful movement that the first audience purportedly gave five standing ovations!