On December 22, 1808 at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien, Ludwig van Beethoven staged a four-hour concert that included the premieres of his symphonies No. 5 in C minor and No. 6 in F major (“Pastoral”), Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, “Choral Fantasy,” Fantasy in G major, Op. 77, for solo piano and sections from his Mass in C major, as well as a reprise of his 1796 concert aria “Ah! perfido.”
A re-creation of that epic event was staged last weekend at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Carlo Rizzi conducting; the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, Jaime Martín conducting; pianists Steven Osborne (in the concerto) and Llŷr Williams (in the fantasies); and soprano Alwyn Mellor (in the aria).
The concert, recorded by the BBC, streams until Feb. 18 at this address:
Letter V 