LAHAV SHANI / AUGUSTIN HADELICH

Does Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 mark the end or the beginning of a period? In 1802, the German composer had been living in Vienna for ten years. He had already written two piano concertos, six quartets and many other works. Admittedly, the symphony is classical, in that it takes up the legacy of Mozart’s symphonies. But what power! What ardour! Its first listeners in 1803 were indeed surprised by the monumentality of the work, heralding the ‘new path’ he would soon take with the Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’. Three years later, Beethoven’s style was fully mature. Yet the expansive Violin Concerto shines with a calmer light, rather unusual for the fiery German composer. It is said to have been written during one of the rare happy periods of Beethoven’s life, so radiant is the Concerto with warm melodies and dreamy poetry. In this masterpiece where orchestra and soloist shine together, Lahav Shani and Augustin Hadelich have the art of cantabile and the architectural care needed to set the Beethovenian galaxy ablaze.