Often overlooked and neglected, the Fourth Symphony is overshadowed by Beethoven’s more dynamic Third and Fifth symphonies. Though not much was written about the piece after its premiere, contemporaries placed the Fourth closer to the more classical first two symphonies. Beethoven wrote the Fourth during a late summer stay at the palace of Count Franz von Oppersdorff, to whom the work eventually was dedicated. The piece premiered at a private concert at the Lobkowitz Palace in Vienna along with the first performance of the Fourth Piano Concerto.
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