Symphony

Symphony No. 5

4 upcoming performances in New York

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (1804–08) distills conflict into a four-movement arc that moves from C minor severity toward a hard-won C major close. Its opening motif, pared to essentials, became a cultural shorthand for pressure and persistence. New York has lived with this piece for more than a century, from early Carnegie Hall seasons to its role as repertory bedrock for the city’s major orchestras. In this program at David Geffen Hall and NJPAC, Gustavo Dudamel places it alongside John Corigliano, setting a classical monument against a modern, historically specific response.