Beethoven - Symphony No. 8 (Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Christoph König)

7 November 2020, 6 pm
Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Christoph König – conductor

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93

0:00 Intro
0:24 Allegro vivace e con brio
9:10 Allegretto scherzando
13:03 Tempo di Minuetto
18:04 Allegro vivace
25:19 Credits
25:46 We will be back

[albafaireness]

These are troubled times! Performers, please, don't ever think for a moment that playing to an empty room is futile! There are millions of ears, (and eyes), out here, that are eternally grateful for your dedication!
Thank you Maestro König, performers, Filharmonia Narodowa and your entire team for yet another immaculate performance and presentation! 💖💖💖
Please, stay safe! 🙏
2021/01/30

[randomguy]

You guys need more recognition for such amazing work!

[robertthomson]

Thanks to all of you. Another fine performance by my favourite orchestra.

[Nicol]

I've just listened today the Eroica with National Radio Orchestra from Bucharest, with the same magnificent Koenig. We need more Beethoven in our troubled and lonely lives. Congratulations to the Polish orchestra!

[paulcook]

Bravissimo! A brilliant antidote for the spiritual malaise that seems to accompany this pandemic! You are musical warriors in the fight for the human spirit---that part of all of us that seeks Truth, Beauty, and Goodness! Thank you ever so much, and may God bless you!

[wendychen]

If you know someone who is relatively new to the wonderful world of classical music, Beethoven in particular, and has not heard (or not quite familiar with) Beethoven's 8th Symphony, I highly recommend this exemplary performance. Not only are Beethoven's wit and sense of humor fully expressed in this symphony, but also (in my opinion) his childlike mischief toward the classical tradition of Haydn and Mozart shines through in this extraordinarily spirited performance by the Warsaw Philharmonic. In about 25 minutes, you get to enjoy all of what I just said and may likely wish, as I do, when the last movement ends, that the WPO would repeat the entire piece as an encore! (You can easily click to re-play the performance, of course.) As someone who has been listening to classical music for more than 65 years now, I consider this performance comparable to Toscanini's (perhaps last?) interpretation of the symphony with the NBC Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1952), which took also about 25 minutes. If I observe correctly, the WPO uses fewer players than most major orchestras nowadays in this performance (only 3 double basses, for instance), which may also contribute to the superior clarity of the performance, much like the listeners in Vienna would have heard in Beethoven's time. Bravo and a big thank-you to the WPO musicians, the conductor, and the production crew!

[sevkiye]

Sprightly, unfussy, clear textures, no frills, buoyantly classical