Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

This set contains the first three symphonies together with the eighth by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Although there are over 12 years separating No. 8 from the first two they probably have more in common than No. 3 has with its predecessors. The first two and No. 8 use the same size of orchestra as does Haydn in his last group of symphonies and Beethoven even uses the word menuetto for the third movement of No. 8. The first symphony shows his debt to Haydn and Mozart, especially the former when he starts both first and last movement with a slow introduction. During the completion of the second he had to face the awful realisation that he was going deaf so it is the third, arguably his most remarkable work, called “Eroica”, which took the form on to a much higher level of achievement. Some writers have given prominence to the figure of Napoleon – indeed Beethoven had originally intended to dedicate the work to him – but the use of a tune representing the hero Prometheus, from his ballet Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus (The Creatures of Prometheus), on which he wrote variations for the last movement may well show that it was indeed Beethoven who, Prometheus like, is the hero in his stand against the wrath of the unjust gods. Wolfgang Sawallisch shows his enormous wealth of experience conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.