Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Brahms made his own orchestrations of some of the enchanting waltzes he had previously written for voices and piano. They show the composer at his most relaxed and good humoured. Even by Mozart’s standards, his Sinfonia concertante revels in a wealth of melody and invention. It may be that he was displaying his musical skill in the hope of a court position, and the piece is a model of contrast and balance. Beethoven’s symphony was first performed at a mammoth concert in 1813 which was one of his greatest public successes. Its joyous energy and rhythmic impetus have made it among the most popular of all his symphonies.