This concert is supported by Michael and Mercedes Hoffman
When Schoenberg was composing his Piano Concerto, his markings at the beginning of each movement suggested an autobiographical connection: “Life was so easy”, “Suddenly hatred broke out”, “A grave situation was created” and “But life goes on”. Although these markings were removed in the final published version, the underlying dramatic structure still affects the listener intensely.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, with its driving rhythms and sparkling joie de vivre, is full of bright orchestral colours. The slow introduction to the first movement lays out the skeleton of the entire work, which is coloured in over the course of the work. The finale is based on a stamping peasant dance with ‘whooping horns’ providing a joyous climax.
Mitsuko Uchida's encore was Schoenberg's Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke, Op.19, No. 2
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More concerts at Royal Festival Hall:
Gatti conducts in London
May 17 2012, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Daniele Gatti conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Wagner's Prelude to Act III and Good Friday Music from Parsifal
Valčuha conducts in London
May 19 2012, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Juraj Valčuha conducts Dvořák's Cello Concerto performed by Alisa Weilerstein alongside Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and the Overture from Mozart's Don Giovanni
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Esa-Pekka Salonen on Beethoven
Esa-Pekka Salonen explains why Beethoven matters.
Symphony No. 7 in A
Download Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.
Arnold Schoenberg Part 1
The parallels between Arnold Schoenberg's musical development and the development of Vienna itself.
London 2011/12 season
Find out more about the Orchestra's London 2011/12 season.
