Beethoven Unleashed - Making A Man (1770-1792)

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2020

Born Into Service

20200127

Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's humble beginnings as a child born into a family of court musicians, working for the Archbishop-Elector's retinue in Bonn, Germany. He showed musical talent early and followed his father and grandfather into the Elector's employ as soon as he reached his teens. Would he continue to follow the family pattern and retire there too?

This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become.

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's 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.

Piano Sonata No 24 in F# major, Op 78 (2nd movement)

Zhang Zuo, piano

Fugue in D for organ, WoO 31

David Briggs, organ

Symphony No 6 (movts. IV & V)

BBC Philharmonic

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Violin Sonata Op 30 No 2 (2nd movement)

Jennifer Pike, violin,

Daniel Tong, piano

String Quartet Op 18 No 4 (1st and 3rd movements)

Elias Quartet

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's humble beginnings as the child of a court musician.

2020

A Schooling Of Sorts

20200128

Donald Macleod looks at how Beethoven's haphazard education helped mould him for adult life.

Beethoven was a difficult student who often preferred to educate himself than take instruction. Nevertheless many of his early teachers left a lasting influence. This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become.

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's 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 twenty-first 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.

String Quartet No 13 in Bb, Op 130 (2nd movement)

Elias Quartet

Piano Sonata No 2, Op 2 No 2 (1st and 2nd movements)

Mieczys?aw Horszowski, piano

Symphony No 4 (4th movement)

BBC Philharmonic

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Sonata for cello and piano, Op 102 No 1 (2nd and 3rd movements)

Nicolas Altstaedt, cello

Jose Gallardo, piano

Piano Quartet, WoO 36 No 3

New Zealand Piano Quartet

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod looks at how Beethoven's teachers left their mark on the young composer.

2020

A Passion For Piano

20200129

Donald Macleod investigates how Beethoven's lifelong love affair with the keyboard began, and his determination to stretch the expressive possibilities of piano music that sometimes tested his instruments to destruction.

This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become.

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's 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 twenty-first 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.

Piano Sonata No 19, Op 49 No 1 (2nd movement)

Khatia Buniatishvili, piano

Piano Trio, WoO 38 (arr. Alec Frank-Gemmill)

Stephanie Gonley, violin

Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Der Mann von Wort, Op 99

Benjamin Appl, baritone

Graham Johnson, piano

24 Variations on 'Venni Amore' by Righini, WoO 65

Alfred Brendel, piano

Piano Trio, Op 70 No 2 (3rd and 4th movements)

Atos Trio

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod explores the beginnings of a lifelong love affair with the keyboard.

2020

Knowledge And Power

20200130

Donald Macleod examines how the ideals of reason, equality and freedom that were circulating across Europe and America at the end of the 18th century inspired the young intellectuals of Bonn, like Ludwig van Beethoven.

This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become.

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's 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 twenty-first 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.

String Quartet, Op 95 (Serioso) (1st movement)

Armida String Quartet

Fidelio: Act I (finale)

Christoph Strehl, tenor (Jaquino)

Rachel Harnisch, soprano (Marzelline)

Christof Fischesser, bass (Rocco)

Nina Stemme , soprano (Leonore)

Falk Struckmann, bass baritone (Don Pizarro)

Arnold Schoenberg Choir

Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra

Claudio Abbado, conductor

Musik zu einem Ritterballett, Woo 1

BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena

12 Variations on 'See the conqu'ring hero comes' by Handel for cello and piano, WoO 45

Andreas Brantelid, cello

Peter Friis Johansson, piano

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod examines how ideals of reason and freedom took hold in Beethoven's Bonn.

2020

05 LAST

Leaving Home

20200131

Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's teenage encounters with Europe's two greatest living composers, Mozart and Haydn. They were meetings that convinced Beethoven his future lay beyond the borders of his home city, Bonn. As he approached adulthood, he turned his sights towards the city that would take him to its heart, Vienna.

This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become.

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's 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 twenty-first 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.

Rondo a capriccio in G major (Rage over a lost penny) for piano, Op 129

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

7 Variations on 'Bei M䀀nnern, welche Liebe fühlen', WoO 46

Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello

Marianna Shirinyan, piano

Resignation, WoO 149

Benjamin Appl, baritone

Graham Johnson, piano

String Quartet, Op 59 No 1 (1st movement)

Aris String Quartet

Violin Concerto (2nd and 3rd movements)

Lisa Batiashvili, violin and director

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales

Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's teenage encounters with Mozart and Haydn.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2020	01	Born Into Service	20200127	Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's humble beginnings as a child born into a family of court musicians, working for the Archbishop-Elector's retinue in Bonn, Germany. He showed musical talent early and followed his father and grandfather into the Elector's employ as soon as he reached his teens. Would he continue to follow the family pattern and retire there too? This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become. 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's 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. Piano Sonata No 24 in F# major, Op 78 (2nd movement) Zhang Zuo, piano Fugue in D for organ, WoO 31 David Briggs, organ Symphony No 6 (movts. IV & V) BBC Philharmonic Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Violin Sonata Op 30 No 2 (2nd movement) Jennifer Pike, violin, Daniel Tong, piano String Quartet Op 18 No 4 (1st and 3rd movements) Elias Quartet Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's humble beginnings as the child of a court musician.
2020	02	A Schooling Of Sorts	20200128	Donald Macleod looks at how Beethoven's haphazard education helped mould him for adult life. Beethoven was a difficult student who often preferred to educate himself than take instruction. Nevertheless many of his early teachers left a lasting influence. This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become. 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's 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 twenty-first 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. String Quartet No 13 in Bb, Op 130 (2nd movement) Elias Quartet Piano Sonata No 2, Op 2 No 2 (1st and 2nd movements) Mieczys?aw Horszowski, piano Symphony No 4 (4th movement) BBC Philharmonic Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Sonata for cello and piano, Op 102 No 1 (2nd and 3rd movements) Nicolas Altstaedt, cello Jose Gallardo, piano Piano Quartet, WoO 36 No 3 New Zealand Piano Quartet Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales Donald Macleod looks at how Beethoven's teachers left their mark on the young composer.
2020	03	A Passion For Piano	20200129	Donald Macleod investigates how Beethoven's lifelong love affair with the keyboard began, and his determination to stretch the expressive possibilities of piano music that sometimes tested his instruments to destruction. This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become. 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's 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 twenty-first 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. Piano Sonata No 19, Op 49 No 1 (2nd movement) Khatia Buniatishvili, piano Piano Trio, WoO 38 (arr. Alec Frank-Gemmill) Stephanie Gonley, violin Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn Pavel Kolesnikov, piano Der Mann von Wort, Op 99 Benjamin Appl, baritone Graham Johnson, piano 24 Variations on 'Venni Amore' by Righini, WoO 65 Alfred Brendel, piano Piano Trio, Op 70 No 2 (3rd and 4th movements) Atos Trio Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales Donald Macleod explores the beginnings of a lifelong love affair with the keyboard.
2020	04	Knowledge And Power	20200130	Donald Macleod examines how the ideals of reason, equality and freedom that were circulating across Europe and America at the end of the 18th century inspired the young intellectuals of Bonn, like Ludwig van Beethoven. This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become. 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's 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 twenty-first 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. String Quartet, Op 95 (Serioso) (1st movement) Armida String Quartet Fidelio: Act I (finale) Christoph Strehl, tenor (Jaquino) Rachel Harnisch, soprano (Marzelline) Christof Fischesser, bass (Rocco) Nina Stemme , soprano (Leonore) Falk Struckmann, bass baritone (Don Pizarro) Arnold Schoenberg Choir Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor Musik zu einem Ritterballett, Woo 1 BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena 12 Variations on 'See the conqu'ring hero comes' by Handel for cello and piano, WoO 45 Andreas Brantelid, cello Peter Friis Johansson, piano Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales Donald Macleod examines how ideals of reason and freedom took hold in Beethoven's Bonn.
2020	05 LAST	Leaving Home	20200131	Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's teenage encounters with Europe's two greatest living composers, Mozart and Haydn. They were meetings that convinced Beethoven his future lay beyond the borders of his home city, Bonn. As he approached adulthood, he turned his sights towards the city that would take him to its heart, Vienna. This week, Donald Macleod's focus is on Beethoven's childhood and teenage years, as he looks for clues in the composer's early life that point towards the great man he would become. 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's 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 twenty-first 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. Rondo a capriccio in G major (Rage over a lost penny) for piano, Op 129 Pavel Kolesnikov, piano 7 Variations on 'Bei M䀀nnern, welche Liebe fühlen', WoO 46 Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello Marianna Shirinyan, piano Resignation, WoO 149 Benjamin Appl, baritone Graham Johnson, piano String Quartet, Op 59 No 1 (1st movement) Aris String Quartet Violin Concerto (2nd and 3rd movements) Lisa Batiashvili, violin and director Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales Donald Macleod looks at Beethoven's teenage encounters with Mozart and Haydn.