Review of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink in 2009The Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 68 was composed by Beethoven and was completed in 1808. It is also called the “Pastoral Symphony”. In 2009, Bernard Haitink conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's performance of the symphony. From Haitink's concert of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, I expected to see the composer's original work. The symphony has qualities of both the Classical and Romantic periods and illustrates the composer's radical ideas as well as highlighting his classical influences. Its programmatic nature is the main Romantic characteristic, although dramatic dynamic changes, as well as the use of percussion and brass, are also characteristic of this era. However, there are numerous classical influences throughout Beethoven's work, such as the dominance of the strings in the different movements, the balanced phrasing, the use of the dominant and the tonic throughout the symphony. The various romantic and classical elements of Beethoven's music should be revealed in the course of this...