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Beethoven at 250

A celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven, marking the composer's 250th birthday, with pianist Stephen Hough, poet Ruth Padel, Laura Tunbridge and Sir Simon Rattle.

A celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven, marking the composer's 250th anniversary year.

To discuss what sets Beethoven apart from other composers, John Wilson is joined by pianist Stephen Hough, poet Ruth Padel, Oxford Professor of Music Laura Tunbridge and conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who says of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: "It is too much of everything!... this is a composer inventing the music of the next one hundred years"

Throughout 2020 Simon Rattle will be conducting Beethoven with the London Symphony Orchestra, starting in January with Symphonies 7 and 9 and the rarely performed Oratorio, Christ on the Mount of Olives.

Stephen Hough's recording of the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos will be released later this year, as will Laura Tunbridge's major biography of the composer.

Ruth Padel's collection Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life is published at the end of January.

Radio 3 is celebrating Beethoven鈥檚 250th anniversary with a year-long series, Beethoven Unleashed, launching on 13 January with Composer of the Week.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Timothy Prosser

Available now

28 minutes

Beethoven 250th Anniversary

Main image: Ludwig van Beethoven
Photo credit: Getty Images

Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle

For info on Simon Rattle鈥檚 Beethoven concerts with the LSO

Image: Sir Simon Rattle
Image Credit: Mark Allan

Ruth Padel

Ruth Padel

Ruth Padel鈥檚 collection is published in Jan.

Image: Ruth Padel
Image credit:听Gwen Burnyeat

Stephen Hough

Stephen Hough

for info on pianist Stephen Hough鈥檚 recording and concerts.

Image: Stephen Hough
Image Credit:听Sim Canetty-Clarke/大象传媒

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  • New Year's Day 2020 19:15

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