Herbert Blomstedt: Beethoven and Mozart | Philharmonia Orchestra

In Herbert Blomstedt’s second concert, hear his take on two definitive symphonies.

Instantly recognisable, the nervous melody that opens Mozart’s most famous symphony gives rise to music of passion and excitement. A brief respite in the gentle second movement is interrupted by the forceful minuet melody in the third, with dashes of colour from the woodwind amidst unsettled harmonies. Mozart’s final movement returns to the agitation of the opening, with rapid melodies and thrilling dynamic shifts.

Musical drama fills Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony too, but with a more personal connection. Its themes of struggle and triumph have been interpreted as autobiographical – Beethoven had begun to go deaf, but had overcome his initial despair and determined to find hope and purpose in his art. One of the first fruits of his decision was this glorious, groundbreaking piece, voted the greatest symphony of all time in a 2016 poll of over 150 conductors from around the world.