Beethoven’s Fifth

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• As one might expect from its name, the Sinfonia concertante in E-flat, K. 364 is both symphonic in character and has a violin and viola soloists, in the manner of a double concerto. However, concertante also meant to play “in concert” among a mixed group of instruments, and Mozart writes in this more conversational vein as well. Each of the winds has a distinctive voice in addition to the two soloists, sometimes playing along with them, and other times interjecting their own phrases.

• Da-Da-Da-DUM — hardly any succession of notes is as famous around the world as the one at the beginning of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. If Beethoven had been alive today, he would have become rich through royalties alone: mobile phone ringtones, musical arrangements of all styles, prints of his music on bags, cups and umbrellas. Not to mention the proceeds from the right to perform his works.

• Vienna must have been an incredibly exciting city to live in at this time! Imagine this. The warm-up material at the premiere of Beethoven’s Fifth in 1808 was the premiere of the Pastoral. By the time Beethoven stepped up to the podium to conduct Symphony No.5, the audience must have wondered how any composer could come up with another tune to match what they had just heard. And yet, as this four-movement symphony amply proves, Beethoven was only too ready to share more extraordinary music with the world.