Beethoven in D Major

There is nothing greater than giving joy to others

or so thought Ludwig van Beethoven. Both pieces on this programme wield the power to lift your spirits, and not just because they are in D major, a key associated with celebration and triumph. The Violin Concerto, a cornerstone of the violin repertoire, is renowned for its beauty. And despite the crushing realisation that he was losing his hearing, Beethoven maintained a sense of optimism in Symphony N˚ 2, with a review by Hector Berlioz still ringing true 200 years later: «everything in this symphony smiles».