The SPCO hits the road for a three-week tour of the Twin Cities, celebrating the works of that cranky genius Beethoven, a man whose love life was a series of trysts with one married lady after another. Commitment phobic or just unlucky in love? Either way, he died single after channeling his romantic energy into a body of work that seems crafted for the heart as much as the ear. This year’s festival is devoted to his symphonies—all nine get a workout—as well as the piano concertos. For its finale, the SPCO will wrap things up with a performance of Ode to Joy at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, which ought to really get the bells ringing in the old Beaux Arts landmark. 651.291.1144; www.thespco.org
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