Bedford: Beethoven & Mozart with Martin Helmchen

Programme

With his ability to shape “lines as elegant and clean as a Greek temple’s” (The New York Times), Martin Helmchen has a natural affinity with Mozart’s music. Mozart composed his Piano Concerto No. 16 as a vehicle for his own gifts, resulting in a piece that drips with apparently effortless elegance.

Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony is a sublimely beautiful work that exudes a fresh-air, outdoorsy feel, with an exhilarating first movement, idyllic Adagio, spirited third movement and exuberant finale. Beethoven starts the concert, too, with a work-out for the orchestra in the form of his adventurous Fidelio Overture.