Fast-Thinking Conductor Lands American Beethoven Premiere

Mobile (Alabama) Symphony conductor Scott Speck was watching CNN in March when the news ticker at the bottom of the screen flashed: “Beethoven oboe concerto premieres in the Netherlands.” “I said, ‘WHAT?'” Speck recalls. “What Beethoven concerto? What are they talking about? As far as I knew, there was none. And if there had been one, surely I would known. Even if there was one, what do they mean by ‘premiered’?” So he tracked down the recently-discovered piece, and scheduled it for the orchestra’s next concert…