Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven Festival: Symphonies 1 & 3

Consider this concert the musical Sparknotes version of how Beethoven constructed a symphonic footbridge between the Classical and Romantic eras.

In his First symphony, Beethoven dips his toes in the symphonic waters by honouring the music of Haydn with oodles of classical charm and wit. Intentionally off-putting, it starts in the “wrong key” before settling into C major, and a Haydn-esque joke opens the finale – the setup is hesitant and gloomy before the musical punchline transforms it into a light, sparkling thrill.

The heroic Eroica symphony saw Beethoven break away from the overt influence of Mozart and Haydn to develop his own original voice. It was this, his rousing Third Symphony, that ignited the musical revolution that would become the Romantic era.