A tour de force of beethoven
San Francisco Symphony are joined by the magnificent German-Russian pianist Igor Levit for a masterful evening of Beethoven, performing his Piano Concerto No. 5 and Symphony No. 3, "Eroica". Dubbed the Emperor Concerto, Beethoven's Fifth Piano Symphony premiered in 1811 and won immediate praise for its orchestral grandeur, bold melodies and heroic spirit. The Eroica symphony, meanwhile, began life as a tribute to Napoleon, but when the revolutionary French leader turned tyrant, Beethoven scribbled out the name of his original dedicatee, instead focusing on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the human spirit.
Igor Levit is one of Europe's most exciting young pianists, winning multiple awards around the world and featuring as one of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists for three years running. As well as his stunning guest performances with Orchestras across the globe, more recently he proved himself as someone who could deliver something different, contributing a version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" to the "Metallica Blacklist" charity album.
