When the 29-year-old Beethoven composed and published his First Symphony, many listened on, oblivious to how the composer would soon transform the symphonic genre. While the work was often grouped alongside the symphonies of Mozart and Haydn, critics also repeatedly used the word “masterpiece” in describing it. Hear it tonight at 7: our Evening Masterwork on Classical WSMR 89.1 and 103.9.