Music Review: Beethoven's Symphonies 1 & 9

Date: 5 December 2015
Performers: Jaap van Zweden (conductor), Hong Kong Philharmonic
Rating: **** (4 out of 5)

All good things must come to an end. The fourth and closing chapter of the HK Phil’s Beethoven symphony cycle finished with, apropos, the “bookend symphonies.” After faltering on the opening night, the HK Phil bounced back with a series of well-executed performances that proved the skeptics wrong. The programme culminated in the Choral symphony, the most ambitious composition to be attempted by the orchestra this season. 

Heavily influenced by Mozart and Haydn, the 25-minute Symphony No. 1 made for a light aperitif, and a rather short first half...

Beethoven's Symphonies 1 & 9 with Jaap van Zweden

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Read the rest of this review on TimeOut HK.

As published on TimeOut HK