Where would we be without heroes? Count Egmont would, after his beheading, come to symbolise moderation and tolerance – ideals which Beethoven identified with fully.

Like Beethoven, Fazil Say uses his compositions to cast a critical eye on social and political events. Never Give Up is a cry for freedom and peace, written after the shocking terrorist attacks in Europe and Turkey.

Richard Strauss, for his part, depicted himself as a hero in Ein Heldenleben, presenting his own artistic life story in a very personal and emotional testimony.