Leonore Overture no. 2, op. 72a / Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 "Pastorale"

This album presents two orchestral works by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed and first performed in the early 19th century, roughly between 1805 and 1808. One is a dramatic operatic overture and the other a programme-driven pastoral symphony that employs descriptive motifs, prominent woodwind writing, rustic rhythms and expansive development sections, reflecting Beethoven's middle-period move towards larger-scale narrative expression in orchestral music.