Beethoven 1 & 2: The Beginning

The dawn of the symphonies

Our Beethoven Symphony Festival kicks off with his exuberant overture for Prometheus, which captures the divine splendour of this mythical hero through strident moments, excitable strings and some very pretty lyricism. There’s a similar energy in his Symphony No.1, which pays homage to the great classical tradition while giving us a taste of the vibrant and pioneering symphonic voice Beethoven developed over the following decade. Written at the dawn of the 19th century, there’s even more emotional intensity, humour and dramatic irony in the composer’s Second Symphony.