On This Day!
May 2nd, 1800 -- First performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C, Opus 21, in Vienna. Some sketches can be traced back to 1794-95. The Symphony was dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, the translater and arranger of Haydn's Creation libretto and friend of Mozart. I quote from the Beethoven Encyclopedia "The entire work reflects the growing independence of the instruments and a tendency to treat the woodwind section as equal with the strings. This Symphony already shows the basic woodwind family which Beethoven would retain throughout his works, flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons in pairs. The use of two horns is also standard, although he will use three in the Eroica and four in the Ninth".
------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'
------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'