The Second Symphonies of Beethoven and Farrenc

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Photo by William Farmer

The Chattanooga Symphony performs a concert led by Music Director Ilya Ram

Three composers. Three bold voices. This afternoon concert explores the idea of resilience — how artists transform adversity into energy, elegance, and invention. The concert begins with Beethoven’s Second Symphony, one of his least performed masterworks, written at a time of personal crisis but bursting with humor, invention, and fire. It’s not the Beethoven of fate and fury—but of wit, drive, and irrepressible spirit. Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers picks up that thread with a jolt. Inspired by a line from Beethoven’s journals, the piece is full of quick turns and titillating energy—tight, fierce, and over almost too soon. The final word belongs to Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2, a hidden gem that feels as if a mirror was held to Beethoven as it was composed. Elegant and propulsive, Farrenc’s music claims its place in the symphonic tradition—powerfully and unmistakably.

What to expect:

– A Beethoven you haven’t met before

– Music inspired by fate, written to defy it

– A hidden gem that sounds anything but minor

- A blend of modern innovation, classical brilliance, and Romantic lyricism.

– An immersive, no-barriers concert experience

This performance is made possible by Henson-Hinck Designs and Gowin Law.