Schicksal | Kronberg Festival 2026 „Courage!“

Four notes that almost everyone knows—and a symphony that still feels like a musical breakthrough today.

Beethoven’s Fifth was composed during a time of personal crisis. Faced with his progressive deafness, the composer struggled with despair and the question of how his life should continue. Step by step, the symphony moves from the somber tension of its famous opening motif into a triumphant C major. It is not fate that has the last word, but the will to confront it.

This seminal work of music history will be performed at the Casals Forum for the first time. The Ensemble Resonanz and Riccardo Minasi will pair it with Saint-Saëns’ First Cello Concerto, performed by Nicolas Altstaedt. This work, too, defies conventional form: its movements flow seamlessly into one another, forming a single, sweeping musical arc.

“Fate” is an evening about resilience, determination, and the possibility of transforming threats into new energy.

More information about the Kronberg Festival and the concert.