Beethoven - Symphony No. 1

Beethoven - Symphony No. 1

In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performs Beethoven’s symphonic cycle at the Academia de Música del Palacio de Minería in Mexico City in 2019. Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the orchestra in this performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21. Prieto has been serving as music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería since 2008, and is considered the foremost Mexican conductor of his generation. Beethoven’s first symphony saw its premiere on 2 April, 1800 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. This symphony shows Beethoven’s loyalty to the model of Joseph Haydn’s and W.A. Mozart’s late symphonies, but also his attempt to distinguish himself from his predecessors. For instance, although the third movement is indicated as a minuet, its tempo marking of Allegro molto e vivace suggests it should be played considerably faster. This suggests that the movement could be considered Beethoven’s first symphonic scherzo, replacing the traditional minuet as the third movement. Symphony No. 1 consists of four movements: Adagio molto - allegro con brio, Andante cantabile con moto, Menuetto, and Adagio - allegro molto e vivace.