Fifth Symphony
Fifth Symphony
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano
Marios Papadopoulos conductor
The Wall Street Journal has described pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard as ‘a brilliant musician and an extraordinary visionary.’ Aimard delivers Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2, whose ambition and complexity echo the scale of a full orchestral symphony: four movements instead of the usual three, the piano woven in as part of the orchestra. It sweeps between the serene and the tempestuous, with a songful solo cello opening the third movement. Brahms spent over two decades haunted by Beethoven’s shadow before completing his own First Symphony; five years later, this concerto finds him confidently free of that artistic paralysis. Then, the symphony in which Beethoven gave music its most famous motif. The epitome of his ‘heroic’ era, the Fifth is relentless, driving and tightly constructed, wringing an entire movement from that four-note rhythm. The finale bursts out of near-silence, bringing piccolo, contrabassoon and trombones into the symphonic fold.
08 Oct 2027
Tickets: £18, £30, £32, £42, £58
(Students from £5)
Duration: 120 min
Venue: Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street
(Students from £5)
Upcoming events
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Tchaikovsky Five
05 Nov 2026 – 19:30
Marios Papadopoulos conducts his first concert of the season and brings with him one of the most riveting pieces in the history of the symphony.
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Mozart, Debussy and Roussel
14 Nov 2026 – 19:30
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra come to the Holywell Music Room for flute-led chamber music that celebrates heritage while also reflecting on loss.
Learn More
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
21 Nov 2026 – 19:30
In the galleries of the Sheldonian Theatre, Marios Papadopoulos marshals the most majestic and timeless of sacred works.
Learn More
Tchaikovsky Five
Nov 05 2026 – 19:30
Marios Papadopoulos conducts his first concert of the season and brings with him one of the most riveting pieces in the history of the symphony.
Learn More
Mozart, Debussy and Roussel
Nov 14 2026 – 19:30
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra come to the Holywell Music Room for flute-led chamber music that celebrates heritage while also reflecting on loss.
Learn More
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
Nov 21 2026 – 19:30
In the galleries of the Sheldonian Theatre, Marios Papadopoulos marshals the most majestic and timeless of sacred works.
Learn More