Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

Britten Sinfonia/Adès

Britten Sinfonia rehersal

Thomas Adès juxtaposes Beethoven’s life-affirming Symphony No 6 with Gerald Barry’s passionate The Conquest of Ireland.

Beethoven takes inspiration from nature, allowing his imagination to range vividly across the Austrian countryside in his thrilling, intricate Pastoral symphony. For Thomas Adès, Gerald Barry’s ‘ferociously objective’ music is a natural partner for Beethoven. In this concert, the 6th is juxtaposed with Barry’s passionate The Conquest of Ireland for orchestra and bass, based on a 12th-century account of Henry II’s military conquest of Ireland.

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Barbican Hall