200th anniversary

[makir35]

Isn't the 200th anniversary of the first public performance of the 5th symphony coming up in March? Are there any commerative events planned?

[PDG]

No, it was on December 22nd 1808. A monumental concert - bigger even than Live8...

[Fidelio]

The Fifth Symphony was premiered on December 22, 1808 at a mammoth concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna consisting entirely of Beethoven premieres, and directed by Beethoven himself. The performance took more than four hours. The two symphonies appeared on the program named in the reverse of the order by which we know them today: the Fifth was numbered No. 6, and the Sixth appeared as No. 5. The program was as follows:

the Sixth Symphony
Aria: "Ah, perfido", Op. 65
The Gloria movement of the Mass in C Major
the Fourth Piano Concerto (played by Beethoven himself)
(intermission)
the Fifth Symphony
the Sanctus and Benedictus movements of the C Major Mass
the Choral Fantasy

[PDG]

I love the "intermission" bit. It must have seemed like an oasis!

[Michael]

Didn't Peter (not PDG) attend a reconstruction of this concert a couple of years ago or did I imagine it?

[lvbfanatic]

Slurping Over Dec 22, 1808

Ahhh... what I would give to be at that concert... even if it was in a cold theatre and even if it was over 4 hours long.

But I have heard that some of the audience actually had the nerve to complain... what dolts!

[PDG]

Didn't Peter (not PDG) attend a reconstruction of this concert a couple of years ago or did I imagine it?

No, Peter really was there in 1808.

[Peter]

No, Peter really was there in 1808.

And damned cold it was too, unlike the reconstruction in August 2003 when there was a heatwave in Europe with Vienna temperatures around 37C!

[Peter]

Didn't Peter (not PDG) attend a reconstruction of this concert a couple of years ago or did I imagine it?

Yes Michael it was an amazing experience sitting in the same Theater an der Wien that had first witnessed these works. The performances used authentic instruments, including a fortepiano. Robert Levin also provided an improvisation (as Beethoven had done) on themes suggested by the audience - we were asked to write down a theme during one of the intervals and a few were selected - unfortunately my chance of a world premier didn't happen!