大象传媒

They have been described as 鈥渢he most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man鈥�, 鈥渁n expression of monumental intellect and innermost feeling鈥�, and 鈥渕usic [which] sets in motion the machinery of awe, of fear, of terror, of pain.鈥� There is no question that Beethoven鈥檚 nine symphonies changed music forever. The colossal legacy of these works has hovered over generations of composers since, leading Johannes Brahms to exclaim 鈥淵ou can't have any idea what it's like always to hear such a giant marching behind you!鈥�

Over this week of programmes, Donald Macleod is joined by the conductor John Eliot Gardiner, founder of the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre R茅volutionnaire et Romantique, to delve into the world of these nine sublime works.

In Monday鈥檚 programme they discuss Beethoven鈥檚 beginnings with the form, and his first two Symphonies, exploring what the Symphony was when Beethoven first came to write one, and what he did, even in these early works, to change it.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven鈥檚 life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3鈥檚 Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven鈥檚 birth.

Symphony No 1 in C , op 21 鈥� I. Adagio Molto 鈥� Allegro Con Brio. Orchestre R茅volutionnaire et Romantique/Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Symphony No 1 in C, op 21 鈥� III. Menuet segue IV. Finale. London Philharmonic Orchestra/Kurt Masur. Symphony No 2 in D, op 36 鈥� I. Adagio Molto 鈥� Allegro Con Brio. Tonhalle Orchester Z眉rich/David Zinman. Symphony No 2 in D, op 36 鈥� II. Larghetto segue III. Scherzo. Orchestre R茅volutionnaire et Romantique/Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Producer: Sam Phillips