Beethoven Symphonies
April 10 to 18
Discover each of Ludwig van Beethoven's nine symphonies, one at a time! From April 10 to 18, Stingray Classica broadcasts one Beethoven symphony each night, expertly performed by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería under the baton of Mexican maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto. Beethoven’s symphonic cycle is one of the most revolutionary works in all of classical music. His heroic Symphony No. 3, dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, marks the beginning of Beethoven's most creative period, by which he shaped the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven’s symphonies broadened the scope of form, structure, harmony, orchestration and melodic development. His creative innovations paved the way for composers for generations to come. His nine symphonies are among the most-performed classical pieces in the world, and particularly his Symphony No. 3, Symphony No. 5 – with its famous opening – and Symphony No. 6, also known as the Pastoral, are known far and wide. Everyone recognizes the celebrated Ode "An die Freude" from his magnum opus, Symphony No. 9.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 1
Saturday, 10 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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 April 2, 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 traditional minuet, its tempo marking 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.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 2
Sunday, 11 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 2 in D Major, Op. 36. Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 2 during 1801 and 1802. It is considered one of the last works of his early period, as several signs show that Beethoven attempted to go his own way. For instance, he replaced the traditional third-movement minuet with a scherzo. Symphony No. 2 consists of four movements: Adagio molto - allegro con brio, Larghetto, Scherzo, and Allegro molto.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
Monday, 12 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55. Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 3, also known as the "Eroica", during 1803 and 1804. It is the first work that fully illustrates Beethoven’s new approach to the symphonic form. Remarkable is the duration of this piece, which is considerably longer than any previous symphony. All its movements are large and dramatic, and expressive of different aspects of heroism. The grandiose horn calls in the Trio of the third movement exemplify this. The symphony consists of four movements: Allegro con brio, Marcia funebre: Adagio assai, Scherzo, and Finale: Allegro molto.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 4
Tuesday, 13 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60. Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 4 in 1806. This symphony is overshadowed by the "Eroica" Symphony, its massive predecessor, and Symphony No. 5, its revolutionary successor. It is performed less often than the aforementioned two symphonies. Symphony No. 4 is characterized by a furious finale, in which the strings almost continuously play sixteenth-note figures. This last movement also reveals the spirit of Joseph Haydn, in the slowed version of the main theme just before the end. Symphony No. 4 consists of four movements: Adagio - Allegro vivace, Adagio, Allegro, and Allegro ma non troppo.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
Wednesday, 14 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. Beethoven wrote his famous Symphony No. 5 between 1804 and 1808. The four-note figure that opens this symphony, the so-called “Fate Motif”, is one of the best-known motifs in Western music. This rhythmic pattern recurs in various guises in the other movements of the symphony, for instance in the beginning of the third movement, where it is played by the horns. Symphony No. 5 consists of four movements: Allegro con brio, Andante con moto, Scherzo, and Allegro - Presto.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6
Thursday, 15 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 6 in F Major, Op. 68. Beethoven composed his Symphony “Pastorale” immediately after his Symphony No. 5. Both symphonies were premiered at the Theater an der Wien, on December 22, 1808. Instead of four movements – a formal characteristic of symphonies written before Beethoven’s time – his Pastoral Symphony consists of five movements, each bearing a programmatic title that suggests a scene from life in the country. Beethoven loved spending time in nature, where he frequently composed music. In the Andante movement of his Pastoral Symphony ("Scene by the brook") the flute, oboe, and two clarinets play harmoniously when imitating the call of three birds: nightingale (flute), quail (oboe), and cuckoo (clarinets).
Beethoven - Symphony No. 7
Friday, 16 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 7 in A Major, Op. 92. Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 7 during 1811 and 1812. One year later, Beethoven himself conducted the premiere of this symphony at a charity concert for soldiers that had been wounded in the Battle of Hanau. Its second movement, the Allegretto, appealed to the audience, which demanded an immediate encore. This movement has always maintained its popularity. It is characterized by a moving melody, beginning in the violas and cellos. This melody is then played by the second violins, first violins, and woodwinds. The symphony consists of four movements: Poco sostenuto - vivace, Allegretto, Presto - assai meno presto, and Allegro con brio.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 8
Saturday, 17 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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. 8 in F Major, Op. 93. Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 8 in 1812, immediately after he completed his Symphony No. 7. This symphony is the shortest of all Beethoven’s symphonies. It is believed that Beethoven attempted to mimic a metronome – a tool recently invented by a friend of his - in the sixteenth-note pattern played by the woodwinds throughout the symphony’s second movement. Symphony No. 8 consists of four movements: Allegro con brio e vivace, Allegretto scherzando, tempo di menuetto, and Allegro vivace.
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
Sunday, 18 April | 21:00
In honor of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería performed 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, four vocal soloists, the Vocal Essence choir, and the choir of Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in this performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125. 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 Symphony No. 9 is widely considered his greatest composition. He completed this piece in 1824, when he was almost deaf. This symphony is unique, since Beethoven included a choir and vocal soloists in the last movement. Here, Beethoven set to music parts of Friedrich Schiller's poem “Ode an die Freude” (“Ode to Joy”). The symphony consists of four movements: Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso, Molto vivace, Adagio molto e cantabile, and Finale. The four vocal soloists are Katherine Whyte (soprano), Grace Echauri (mezzosoprano), Thomas Studebaker (tenor), and Kevin Deas (bass).