Travel through pre- and post-revolutionary Paris, where musical and political ambitions collide in the works of Haydn, Bologne and Beethoven.

Just a handful of years before the outbreak of revolution, we meet Haydn revelling in the creative possibilities of a new French commission. From the grandiose opening of his fourth Paris Symphony, to the fizzing wit of its finale, the composer makes the most of an orchestra over three times the size of his usual ensemble at Eszterháza. Reportedly a favourite of the soon-to-be-deposed queen Marie Antoinette, the symphony gained the nickname La Reine. Haydn’s Parisian commissioner was also a dazzling violinist and composer himself, as well as a celebrated fencer.

The concert offers a taste of Joseph Bologne’s virtuosity, with the flair of his G major violin concerto speaking to his prowess as both a composer and performer. As a man with dual French and Caribbean heritage, Bologne deployed his artistry to fight for his social survival as much as he used it as a means of creative expression. Despite his close engagement with the highest aristocratic – even royal – circles, he was invigorated by the Revolution’s ethos of social reform, later leading a legion in support of the Republic.

The evening concludes with a work that transformed the classical symphony, catapulting it into the Romantic era. Napoleon’s decision to appoint himself Emperor in Notre Dame Cathedral, the heart of Paris, dashed Beethoven’s hopes that he would realise the democratic ideals of the Revolution. On hearing the news, the composer scratched out his Third Symphony’s dedication to Napoleon so violently he tore through the manuscript page. But Beethoven’s rebranded Eroica has never lost its revolutionary zeal.

Programme:

Haydn: Symphony No.85 (La Reine)
Bologne (Chevalier de Saint-Georges): Violin Concerto in G, Op.8

Interval

Beethoven: Symphony No.3 (Eroica)