There’s no greater hit in classical music than Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Those first four thundering notes have been used for everything from selling cars on TV to freaking out disco fans on the dance floor. The Cleveland Orchestra performs Ludwig van’s most popular composition this weekend, along with a couple of other pieces that can only pale in comparison. Not surprisingly, the Fifth appears in the show’s finale.
Jan. 5-7, 8 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 8, 3 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 13, 11 a.m.
This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2006.