“Thus Fate knocks at the door!” Everyone knows the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, but the rest of the symphony delivers an even more powerful punch. Prepare to be gripped – and to be delighted, too, by the Fifth’s prettier, wittier counterpart, the sparkling Fourth Symphony. Because no matter how often you’ve heard these masterpieces, they’ve always got new surprises to offer, and particularly when the performers are Gardiner and the ORR. On period instruments, lush sounds become lithe and active, familiar melodies kick up their heels and dance, and even the moments of greatest triumph are alive with new possibilities – and risks.

Programme

Beethoven – Symphony No. 4 in B flat 
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 in C minor 

Performers

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique 
John Eliot Gardiner Conductor