Giovanni Antonini conducts the Symphonieorchester der UdK Berlin.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” in E flat major op. 55

further program will follow

Symphony Orchestra of the UdK Berlin
Giovanni Antonini, conductor

Only a little more than ten years separate the composition of Joseph Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante for oboe, bassoon, violin, and cello from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony. Even today, it is remarkable how dramatically the approach and understanding of composing for symphony orchestra changed during that time, a shift that becomes especially apparent when comparing these two pieces. Haydn’s composition, a blend of symphony and concerto for four solo instruments, is innovative in every respect. However, Beethoven’s Eroica is still associated with the idea of symphony as poetry—not programmatic, but as a realization of the world's ideas in music. The juxtaposition of these two works shows how much Haydn and Beethoven shared in their development of a symphonic concept that, beyond the highest level of musical artistry, engages with life as a whole. This guarantees the experimental tension of this opening concert.