Duo Pleyel: Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony

Event details

Richard Egarr, Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya  fortepiano

Beethoven   Symphony no. 8 in F, op. 93, arr. Carl Czerny
Beethoven   Symphony no. 6 in F, op. 68 (‘Pastoral’), arr. Carl Czerny

Named after their beautiful 1848 piano, Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya and Richard Egarr have been working together as Duo Pleyel for the past eight years to bring the rich and exciting repertoire for piano four-hands to a wider audience. In May 2023, Duo Pleyel began a three-year recording project of the complete Beethoven symphonies in extraordinary four-hand arrangements by his undervalued student Carl Czerny. These are fascinating and hugely important keyboard transcriptions from historical, musicological and purely musical perspectives. Czerny was perhaps the most important teacher and virtuoso before Liszt (one of Czerny’s students!). As a pupil of Beethoven, Czerny knew and had unique insight into his teacher’s music, and Beethoven often entrusted Czerny with the performance of his piano works. Czerny’s brilliant transcriptions of Beethoven’s symphonies were known to the composer and were made with masterful skill and care. You will be amazed at what you hear in these spectacular arrangements of perhaps the greatest symphony cycle in history!

To mark the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death in 2027, our 2026/27 season offers audiences the chance to experience four of these breathtaking arrangements ahead of the highly anticipated release of Duo Pleyel’s recording of the symphonies in the spring. Returning for their second appearance this season, the Duo performs two of the composer’s celebrated middle-period masterpieces: Symphonies nos. 6 and 8. Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, commonly known as the ‘Pastoral’, is one of his rare programmatic works. Through its vivid portrayal of the natural world, the piece offers listeners a sweeping musical escape to the countryside. It is paired with the light-hearted and optimistic Eighth Symphony, which Beethoven affectionately dubbed his ‘little Symphony in F’ to distinguish it from the Sixth, which shares the same key.

If you would like to discuss any access requirements with us, please contact the Box Office. Information about our companion card scheme, group bookings and free tickets for under-16s can be found on our website.