It Shall Certainly Not Bend and Crush Me Completely

Adam Fischer conducts Beethoven’s defiant Fifth. Its finale is triumphantly reinforced by the appearance of trombones, piccolo and contrabassoon for the first time in a symphony. It is paired with the lively Fourth, once described by Berlioz as having a “celestial sweetness”.

The Fifth Symphony picks up where the Eroica (No. 3) ends, in both psychological and musical senses. Dark-toned, potent and radical, this is Beethoven the warrior putting on the armour of C minor to, as he writes to his brothers, “seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly not bend and crush me completely”. The indefatigable opening motif provides a crucible for an unprecedented unity of invention throughout. The Fifth was not finished until 1808 and by 1806 he had brought out what became the Fourth Symphony. Here we meet the Beethoven who was capable of so much lightness, intoxicated perhaps with the possibility of love.

Price: £17 – £69 (Premium £82)

Priority booking only. General booking on 31 October, 10.00am