In 1800, Beethoven held his first public concert at the Burgtheater in Vienna at which time, he premiered several of his newest compositions including his Symphony 1, the Piano Concerto 1, and the Septet in Eb Major for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The concert was a success and established Beethoven as a mature compositional artist capable of writing music of quality equal to Haydn and Mozart.
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| ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BEETHOVEN'S 1800 ACADEMY CONCERT |
The six movements of the Septet in Eb Major were designed in the style of a stately and elegant Divertimento that could be performed by professionals and skilled amateurs alike. The outer movements are the longest and are in Sonata Form. Movements 2, 3, and 5 are in Ternary Form, and the 4th movement is in Variations Form.
To his frustration, the Septet in Eb Major was so popular that it remained Beethoven's most successful composition (in terms of sales) during his lifetime.
