Kurt Masur, LPO perform Beethoven symphonies 1-9
It is rare indeed for a concert series to present the complete Beethoven’s symphonies, the most important in the history of music. It’s an even rarer musical event when the works are interpreted by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kurt Masur – as is the case at the Athens Concert Hall this week. All the concert tickets are sold out already. The series kicked off yesterday with Beethoven’s symphonies No. 1 in C major, No. 2 in D major, and No. 3 in E flat major – also known as the «Eroica» – and continue tonight with No. 4 in B flat major and No. 5 in C minor. The series continues on Friday with No. 6 in F major («Pastoral») and No. 7 in A major, and comes to an end the following day with No. 8 in F major and No. 9 in D minor («Choral»). Masur A leading musician of our times, Masur has been principal conductor of the London Philharmonic since 2000 as well as music director of the Orchestre National de France in Paris since 2002. In 1991, the maestro was named music director of the New York Philharmonic and following 11 years of service was dubbed Music Director Emeritus, the first New York Philharmonic musician to receive the honorary title and second (after Leonard Bernstein) to be named Laureate Conductor. Besides his conducting skills, the celebrated maestro is also well known for his humanitarian efforts, while in 1998 he celebrated 50 years as a professional conductor. Masur’s rich discography includes the complete symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Tchaikovsky. For information, Athens Concert Hall, 1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2333.
