Beethoven’s revolutionary impulses came from the revolutionary times in which he lived. No work captures the new spirit of brotherhood and egality flowing through Europe quite like Beethoven’s extraordinary final symphony – a piece of music that offers listeners a vast and universal embrace.
Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 depicts a journey from disorder and chaos to peace and jubilation, ending with the famous chorus Ode to Joy using words from the poet Friedrich Schiller. Our Beethoven festival closes in the only way possible – with the optimism and brilliance of Beethoven’s glorious hymn to humanity.
Before Beethoven’s Ninth, Jan Willem de Vriend brings his renowned skills as a Beethoven interpreter to the very different symphony that came immediately before. The composer’s Eighth is witty, concise and experimental work that leaps into a manic race right from its first note and continues with no reference to revolution, personal struggle or broader philosophies. It simply celebrates the textures, rhythms and harmonies of music itself.
