Symphony No. 1 C Major op. 21 & No. 2 D Major op.36

Symphony No.1

It would be no coincidence that Beethoven would choose the year 1800 for the premiere for his First Symphony, ushering in with the new century, a new major work.
Beethoven began sketching the symphony during the mid 1790s and returned to his draft to complete it in 1799. Both the First and Second Symphonies show the influence of Haydn and Mozart, but the perceptive listener will also begin to hear a foreshadowing of what was yet to come… and the impact that Beethoven's symphonies would have upon the history of music.

Symphony No. 2

The 2nd Symphony is in indebted to the experiences gained during the composition of its predecessor, completed just a year earlier. However, within a mere twelve months, Beethoven began to completely rethink form, harmony and rhythm and how to expand the symphonic design. From the extended slow introduction of the first movement, to the apotheosis of the finale, Beethoven had found the path that would lead him to "Eroica" and ultimately, the Ninth Symphony.