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Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor (“Fate”), op. 67
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, op. 92

Conductor: Gergely Madaras

Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra

Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in C minor (“Fate”), written in 1808, is one of the most played, most popular and most-cited works in the history of music. Its name did not come from the composer himself, however. Beethoven’s secretary, Anton Schindler – not always a reliable source – left an anecdote for posterity claiming that in relation to the piece’s famous four-voiced opening motif, the composer commented that “this is the sound of fate knocking at the door”. There is no doubt that Beethoven continued the focus on hero-worship already present in his Symphony No.3, and we can see the heroic story as a struggle with fate and a triumph over it. The thematic unity anticipates the symphonic poems of Liszt. Symphony No. 7 (1812) sings a tale of Dionysian intoxication, while its central musical elements are made from (mostly dactyl) rhythm, dance and movement. It is no surprise that Wagner called the piece “the apotheosis of dance”.

Gergely Madaras (1984) is the music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, a regular guest performer at several European and international concert halls and opera houses, and has displayed his talents as the conductor of the English National Opera, the Savaria Symphony Orchestra and the Dijon Bourgogne Orchestra.