¡Viva Beethoven!: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6
Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar / Gustavo Dudamel
Four notes, two pitches – that is Beethoven’s formula for the most famous opening notes in music history. Is it fate knocking on the door at the start of the Fifth Symphony? Gustavo Dudamel and the Orquesta Sinfonica Simón Bolívar present their interpretation of this significant work, which, alongside Beethoven’s Ninth and his »Pastoral«, is one of the most famous symphonies in music history.
»When we play a Beethoven symphony,« says Dudamel, »it isn’t some sublime piece of music, it’s a story about heroism and a fight for pure existence, it’s a story from our lives«.
Beethoven composed Symphonies No. 5 and No. 6 simultaneously and premiered them both in the same concert, two days before Christmas Eve in 1808. The first, suspenseful and dramatic, the second, a portrait of nature with jovial scenes, a storm and the »feeling of gratitude« after the storm ends. The debut: a legendary flop! Only after many years were both works considered successful.
Performers
National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela
conductor Gustavo Dudamel
Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
– Interval –
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 »Pastorale«
Live Broadcast
Das Konzert wird live auf www.elbphilharmonie.de übertragen. Ein Mitschnitt wird außerdem am Sonntag, 21. Mai 2017, ab 11 Uhr auf NDR Kultur ausgestrahlt.