This year’s Concerto Budapest season trains the spotlight on Beethoven. The first, the Choral Fantasy, is a uniquely structured piece that the author composed at the last minute as a kind of concluding piece to his marathon-length Viennese benefit concert in 1808. The Eighth Symphony (in F major), written in 1812, differs from its heavily dramatic counterparts in being one of Beethoven’s most cheerful and lively works; evocative and rich in contrasts, it is distinguished by the exceptional perfection of its orchestration. In response to its initial lukewarm reception, the composer simply remarked, “You will come to it like it one day.” The Triple Concerto in C major, completed in 1805, is another of Beethoven’s most unique works, with a piano trio acting as soloists opposite the orchestra. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B major, written in 1806 between the powerful Third (“Eroica “) and iconic Fifth (“Fate “) symphonies. Schumann aptly described the work as “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants”.

Presented by: Concerto Budapest