The “awakening of cheerful feelings upon arriving in the country.” That might describe the drive into the Wood River Valley, but it’s also the label Beethoven applied to the first movement of his sixth symphony! In this explicitly programmatic work, Beethoven references sounds heard in nature, including birdcalls, a burbling brook, a terrifying summer thunderstorm, and a shepherd’s song. Throughout, one can easily imagine the composer strolling through his beloved Austrian countryside, enjoying a respite from bustling Vienna. The program opens with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, a piece which Beethoven decided was too grand to be anything else but self-sufficient.