BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
IANOTTA Commissioned work, to be announced. World Premiere
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Although Beethoven's entry into the great symphonic genre in 1800 was still marked by the legacy of Haydn and Mozart, Symphony No. 1 already reveals a composer introducing distinctive traits of his own: he masters the models of his time and preserves the balance of Classicism, presenting himself as the heir to the tradition while also as a figure destined to transform it. Thus, Beethoven anticipates his own musical personality through greater energy, more pronounced contrasts, and subtle gestures of innovation, such as the work's unusual opening, which suggests a different key, the dialogue between the various sections of the orchestra, and the prominence given to the wind instruments.
Following the groundbreaking Symphony No. 3, the Fourth Symphony returns to an atmosphere closer to that earlier Classical spirit. Beneath its apparent serenity, however, lies a language that is unmistakably Beethovenian, marked by the tension between traditional structures and the search for new forms of expression. Composed in 1806, Symphony No. 4 is often regarded as one of the most luminous and perfectly balanced works of the Bonn master.
Symphony No. 5 is not only one of Beethoven's most representative scores but also one of the great universal symbols of music, thanks to its celebrated opening motif. First performed in Vienna in 1808, it exemplifies the evolution of the symphonic genre towards a new conception in which the composer's individual expression assumes a new prominence. From the tension of the first movement to the final triumph, it traces a journey of struggle and transcendence that has often been interpreted as a decisive step towards the Romantic ideal.
