Beethoven’s whimsical, genial Eighth Symphony is the work of an unrivaled artist who also happens to be a fellow human, laughing and joking like the rest of us.

Our universal humanity is the explicit concern of his next symphony, but it’s on an entirely different scale. For the heaven-storming Ninth, the orchestra alone wasn’t enough: voices were necessary for Beethoven’s ecstatic vision. All men shall become brothers, they sing. I embrace you, O you millions – this kiss is for all the world!

With this music, and its vast, elemental force, Beethoven speaks to us across the centuries and into infinity.