Why have you grouped the symphonies as you have?

There are various ways of presenting the cycle, but we have decided to go on a chronological journey. I believe that Beethoven is, consciously or unconsciously, presenting different views of the world, each symphony being almost an antithesis of the former, like two good friends having an argument. For example, the sixth is a deeply religious vision of the world, perhaps seen through a child’s eyes, while the seventh celebrates dances from the saddest to the most hedonistic.

Douglas Boyd

Douglas Boyd. Photo © Jean-Baptiste Millot

What did Nikolaus Harnoncourt teach you?

He combined an intense knowledge of the scores and performance practices of Beethoven’s time with extraordinary fantasy and vision. He wanted his musicians to understand the “why”, not only the “how”. He wasn’t interested in creating a “museum piece”. He felt, as I do, that Beethoven could express every emotion of the human spirit from joy to grief and love to tragedy, which is even more important in 2022.

Does your approach change if you are working with a chamber orchestra versus...