The Philadelphia Orchestra

Today, we think of Beethoven as a solitary genius striving for perfection as his hearing fails. But as a young man, he was also a fiery virtuoso whose skills astounded aristocrats in the salons of Vienna, the musical capital of Europe in the late 18th century. Join us as one of today’s dynamic pianists performs the concerto that the youthful Beethoven used to broaden his fame among the Viennese public. Also on the program is a symphony from Shostakovich that reflects the cultural thaw after Stalin’s death in 1953.