FACES OF BEETHOVEN

The first evening of Gábor Takács-Nagy's Beethoven series begins with the King Stephen overture, with which the new Pest Theatre was inaugurated in 1812. Contemporary records attest to Beethoven's love and respect for the Hungarians, which he expressed by building the music of the overture from Hungarian recruitment melodies. With respect to Symphony No 1, critics point out that the influence of Haydn, the great predecessor and teacher, is still strongly apparent, along with a nostalgic reminiscence of his homeland, the Rhineland. Numerous music historians point out that Beethoven wrote a lighter, more cheerful symphony after his great, dramatic symphonies: following the great Eroica Symphony, Beethoven composed his charming Symphony No. 4 in 1806, which also carries humorous overtones.