Beethoven, Symphony No.1 in C major, op.21

First performed at the Hofburg Theater in Vienna in 1800, the First Symphony is sometimes labeled a "fitting farewell to the 18th century". Composed when Beethoven was 29 and already a well-known pianist and gifted composer of keyboard and chamber works, this symphony is still very much in the classical style of Haydn and Mozart, following the structure of 18th-century symphonic music. Yet its classical form is little more than a disguise; for beneath the surface, one perceives the strength and drive of a revolutionary artistic spirit. Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997), one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, was a testament to the elegance and impeccable tastefulness of Central European music-making. Born in Budapest in 1912, he studied with Béla Bartók, Ernö von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner. In 1937, Toscanini chose him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Festival. After the war, Solti was appointed Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera. Further stations in his career were the Frankfurt Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the London Philharmonic. His remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony began in 1954; he was named Music Director in 1969 and held this post for a phenomenal 22 years. He is credited with greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra's worldwide reputation. Solti died in September 1997, just before his 85th birthday. This recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was made at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1978.