Philharmonia Orchestra
T633881671
Archive :: production:T633881671, concert:S77971927, venue:V430
Production details
During the composition of his Seventh Symphony in 1811/12 Beethoven endured the pangs of unrequited love, was coming to terms with his worsening deafness and suffered, along with his fellow Austrians, the effects of the Napoleonic wars wreaking havoc across Europe. Despite episodes of doom, grief and mourning it remains one of his most joyous and popular symphonies, with a thrilling opening Vivace that juxtaposes rhythms derived from Sicilian dance music. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18, meanwhile, contains all the features that made his concertos great: effortless integration of keyboard and orchestra, colourful orchestration, a seamless flow of ideas, and the interplay of melancholy with optimism.
