Symphony no. 8 in F major, op. 93

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony is often described as his most dance-like. Its purposeful momentum is unmistakably Beethovenian, yet the score also carries a ceremonial brightness and a rare sense of play. The finale is irrepressible — witty, teasing and driven by an energy that refuses to settle. Rather than seeking monumentality, the symphony finds its strength in concentration, rhythmic life and the composer’s delight in confounding expectation.