From first light to fire — the program’s arc mirrors Beethoven’s own symphonic journey. Unsuk Chin’s fierce and propulsive Subito con forza sparks the opening. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major follows — the work that launched one of music’s greatest symphonic legacies, now heard in the season celebrating his 200th anniversary. The afternoon culminates in Brahms’ monumental Violin Concerto in D major, a work that carries Beethoven’s fire deep into the Romantic era, performed by guest violinist Andrew Sords.