Beethoven's Concert Premiere

Date: December 22, 1808 • Location: Berlin, Germany

Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A seminal figure in the history of music, his personal style was a key driver of the transition from Classical to Romantic music. He expanded instrumental forms such as the symphony, the piano sonata, and the string quartet. Beethoven is widely revered as one of the greatest composers of all time, and his compositions are among the most performed in the world.