Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36, Op. 36

Beethoven's Second Symphony (1802) was composed during one of the most anguished periods of his life — the same year as the Heiligenstadt Testament, in which he confessed his growing deafness to his brothers — yet the music is among the most exuberant and life-affirming he ever wrote. Its sparkling D major energy, brilliant orchestration, and the wit of the scherzo (replacing the Classical minuet) represent the fully mature Beethoven in high spirits, and the finale's perpetual momentum is a marvel of Classical comedy. The symphony is sometimes overshadowed by its more famous siblings, but conductors and audiences who know it well rank it among his most perfectly achieved works.