Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 | Michael Boder and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

It marks the beginning of his symphonic work: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21. Here, it’s performed at the Beethovenfest Bonn 2021 by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Boder in the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB).

(00:00) I. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
(09:17) II. Andante cantabile con moto
(16:18) III. Menuetto: Allegro moto e vivace
(19:50) IV. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) is thought to have sketched out his first themes for the symphony in 1794, elaborating upon them predominantly in 1799, with the premiere held in Vienna on April 2, 1800. The Symphony No. 1 – conducted by Beethoven himself – was met with public favor from the off, and remains to this day one of Beethoven's most popular symphonies.

This may owe itself in no small part to the fact that Beethoven's first symphony is still formally entirely in the style of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s classical symphonies. One can also already tell from the outset, however, that Beethoven will take his own symphonic work in new directions. Indeed, the very first chord itself is a novelty; Beethoven begins the symphony not in the key of C major, but with a dissonant seventh chord, which hangs in the air like a question mark, only finding its resolution after the unhurried introduction. Of the first movement, the main theme alone is in C major – the ‘home’ key of the symphony. Its march-like rhythm is reminiscent of the rousing motifs of French, revolutionary music. The first movement’s entirely dance-like, burgeoning character becomes emblematic of the entire symphony.

Beethoven's First Symphony: A classical work, full of exuberance, in which the composer's charismatic style is readily apparent.

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