Nathalie Stutzmann and the ASO will perform all nine Beethoven symphonies, his Missa solemnis and Triple Concerto over the course of the next two seasons. Beethoven's first 8 symphonies will be performed in the spring of 2025, followed by the choral Symphony No. 9 in the fall.
Presented with the generous support of The Halle Foundation, and in partnership with the Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta.
December 16, 1770 - Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn. His grandfather Ludwig was the much-loved Kapellmeister at court (master of music). Beethoven's brute father, Johann, was a tenor and a lesser talent, although he was popular at the local pub. He beat music into young Ludwig, starting with piano and adding violin and viola. Grandfather Ludwig died when the boy was only three, but his memory stuck with the composer as a father figure.
In 1792, Francis II became Holy Roman Emperor. He convulsed at the very mention of revolution (French Revolutionaries guillotined his aunt Marie Antoinette in 1793). Francis blanketed Vienna with censors, spies, and secret police. He prohibited talk of liberal ideals. Amid the crackdown, 22-year-old Beethoven left Bonn, crossed through Napoleon's army, and settled in the Austrian police state.
