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  • Description

    Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 8 between 1811 and 1812. As soon as his “Seventh” was completed, he tried, in vain, to compose a new concerto for piano, and re-used instead this initial work to create his "Eighth” in Vienna, on 17 February 1814.

    The 8th Symphony was born during Beethoven’s dark days. Beethoven is suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, and is living a mysterious and painful liaison with his “Immortal Beloved” (letter from July 1812).

    The 8th Symphony betrays nothing of these difficult times; on the contrary, after the Seventh’s dramatic intensity, the Eighth's is more similar to the bright and serene Sixth (the “great in F”, as Beethoven called it, opposing it to his “little Symphony in F", though the Eighth Symphony was as equally good).

    The Eighth, through seems more reasonable at first sight, both in its structure and length.


    The Paris Opera Orchestra

    A coproduction Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis
    In association with ARTE France and M_MEDIA /ClassicAll TV
    With the support of Pierre Bergé, patron of the symphonic concerts of the Paris Opera Orchestra and of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual broadcasts of the Paris Opera
    With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée

    Director: Vincent Massip
    © Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - 2015

    Picture: ©Jean-François Leclercq / OnP

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