Boris Giltburg, Brussels Philharmonic & Enrico Onofri

Short, intimate, and lyrical, and set in the exotic key of F-sharp major: Beethoven did not shy away from experimentation in his Piano Sonata No. 24. Written during turbulent times, the piece served as a sanctuary of pure beauty. Beethoven similarly veered far off the beaten path in his Piano Sonata No. 16, a work bursting with humor, musical irony, and a starring role for rhythm.

But it was above all in the symphony, the crown jewel of instrumental genres, that Beethoven sparked a technical and aesthetic revolution. While his nine symphonies have since become cultural icons, the Seventh was by far the most popular during his lifetime. Audiences fell head over heels for its intoxicating rhythms and radiant optimism, culminating in a fiery finale of pure, jubilant exhilaration.