Breaking with Beethoven

It was my first concert at Minneapolis Orchestra Hall since COVID. And I was excited.

After all, it was Beethoven. And not just any Beethoven piece—his 5th Symphony. You know, the one with the opening rift [Dah Dah Dah, Dah!] that most people recognize in a heartbeat.

Yes, that one.

After finding our seats, I casually perused the program to read the show notes and backstory of this historical piece.

And then I saw it. An announcement that the first half of tonight’s concert would be featuring an...