To mark the beginning of a weekend Symposium on the works of Beethoven, Marios Papadopoulos combines the composer’s most conciliatory piano concerto with his most idyllic symphony. In his Piano Concerto No. 4, Beethoven reimagined the relationship between soloist and orchestra – not with shock and awe, but with gentle conversation and poetic reflection. After Marios plays and directs the concerto from the piano, we hear the symphony in which Beethoven turns away from the great issues of mankind and instead takes his listeners for a restorative walk in the countryside. Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ is both a symphony and a story, and a nature-inspired masterpiece that cannot help but uplift.

Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus Overture, Op. 43 side-by-side*
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68

Marcello Palazzo conductor*
Marios Papadopoulos conductor/piano

Pre-concert talk by Nicholas Mathew
Other Beethovens
Nicholas Mathew talks about the intimate, less heroic side of the composer that is often overlooked in the popular imagination.

Tickets: £18, £30, £32, £42, £58
(Students from £5)
Time: 19:30
Duration: 120 min
Venue: Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street

Pre-concert talk: 18:30

£18 – £58