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Newly arrived in Vienna, Beethoven seeks out music lessons with the most celebrated musician in the city, Joseph Haydn. It proves to be an uneasy relationship for both of them.

Newly arrived in Vienna, Beethoven seeks out music lessons with the most celebrated musician of the time, Joseph Haydn. It proves to be an uneasy relationship for both of them.

This week, Donald Macleod鈥檚 focus is on Beethoven鈥檚 first months and years in Vienna, following his move there from his home town of Bonn. The young composer was still in his early twenties, low on cash, and had only a handful of works to his name. He was going to have to work hard to find success in the imperial capital, where audiences had grown up on the music of Mozart and Haydn.

All through 2020, Donald Macleod takes an unprecedented deep dive into the compelling story and extraordinary music of Ludwig van Beethoven. In this uniquely ambitious series, told across 125 episodes of Composer of the Week, Donald puts us inside Beethoven鈥檚 world and explores his hopes, struggles and perseverance in all the colourful detail this amazing narrative deserves. Alongside this in-depth biography, Donald will also be meeting and talking to Beethoven enthusiasts and experts from across the world to discover how his music continues to speak to us in the 21st century. Through story and sound, the series builds into a vivid new portrait of this composer, born 250 years ago this year, who made art that changed how people saw themselves and understood the world.

Bagatelle, Op 33 No 7 (Presto)
Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

String Trio, Op 3 in E flat major ( I. Allegro con brio)
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
Bruno Giuranna, viola
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello

Piano Sonata No 2, Op 2 No 2 (3rd and 4th movements)
Mieczys艂aw Horszowski

Symphony No 8, (2nd and 3rd movements)
大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales
Richard Hickox, conductor

String Quartet No 16 in F, Op 135 (3rd and 4th movements)
Van Kuijk Quartet

Produced by Chris Taylor for 大象传媒 Wales

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Bagatelles No 7, Op 33 (Presto)

    Performer: Pavel Kolesnikov.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Trio in E flat, Op 3 (1st movement, Allegro con Brio)

    Performer: Anne鈥怱ophie Mutter. Performer: Bruno Giuranna. Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich.
    • DG 4276872.
    • DG.
    • 1.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata No 2, Op 2 No 2 (3rd and 4th movements)

    Performer: Mieczyslaw Horszowski.
    • 大象传媒 : LEGENDS-大象传媒L 4171-2.
    • 大象传媒.
    • 3.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 8 in F Major, Op 93 (2nd and 3rd movements)

    Orchestra: 大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet in F major, Op 135 No 16 (3rd and 4th movements)

    Ensemble: Van Kuijk Quartet.

Broadcast

  • Tue 25 Feb 2020 12:00

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