The young Beethoven’s 1^st Concerto takes on a distinctive character, especially in the impetuous finale, which intriguingly echoes the rhythm of Southern American folk music.

At the height of his glory, Beethoven turns to his mentor Joseph Haydn, father of the symphony, with his lively Symphony No. 8. Playful like his elder, he cleverly mimics the unbearable, incessant tick-tock of the metronome, newly invented by his friend Mälzel, in the second movement, replacing the usual slow progression. Audible quirks in the mechanism reveal the faltering orderly cadence