Beethoven Festival VIII – Beethoven and Clyne

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony is rich in contrasts and drama, yet also radiates lightness and a sense of ease. It is often regarded as his most humorous symphony, with charming melodies, rhythmic wit and unexpected accents – though none of this should be mistaken for superficiality. We also hear his far darker Coriolan Overture, composed for a drama by the Austrian writer and poet Heinrich Joseph von Collin.

Anna Clyne’s Weathered is a five-movement work exploring different elements: metal, heart, stone, wood and earth. These weathered elements are both beautiful and tinged with melancholy: a rusting bridge, a broken heart, a wind-swept fortress, a majestic forest and an ever-warming planet. Weathered also reflects our shared experiences of the Covid pandemic and the growing anxiety surrounding climate change.

In this concert, part of the Beethoven Festival, we hear the Swedish Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Chief Conductor Martin Fröst, who also appears as clarinet soloist in Anna Clyne’s Weathered.