Beethoven 9

The evening

From tragic opening to climactic, world-embracing Ode to Joy, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has never been just another symphony – it’s an emotional experience with the power to change lives. Every performance is a special occasion, but tonight at Cadogan Hall Conductor-in-Residence Adam Hickox and the RPO have joined forces with the City of London Choir and a truly superb line-up of solo singers. They’re setting the mood with two very different – but equally gripping – outpourings of emotion. Brahms revered Beethoven, and his poignant Nänie is a true cry from the soul. And Rossini’s William Tell overture paints a whole world of wild Romantic adventure even before it gets to that famous finale – a gloriously entertaining salute to Beethoven’s anniversary year.