Jurowski conducts Beethoven

Jurowski conducts Beethoven

As the youngster of today’s classical music scene, Jurowski already gained international stardom in conducting. This time leading the world famous Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, he features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 and No. 7 as well the Coriolan Overture. Robert Schumann once described Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony as ‘a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants’. The ‘two Norse giants’ referred to the Third and Fifth Symphonies, which have an almost mythical reputation. Unintentionally, his description suggested that Beethoven’s ‘even’ Symphonies are not as profound as his ‘odd’ Symphonies. His Seventh Symphonie was first performed in 1813, at a concert for the benefit of wounded soldiers; if ever an orchestra was an all-star ensemble, the orchestra that graced the stage that night certainly deserved that name: Louis Spohr was one of the violinists, and among the other orchestra players were Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Giacomo Meyerbeer and Antonio Salieri.