Beethoven Unleashed - New Pathways

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2020

In Search Of A Cure

20200518

Beethoven turns to medical science in a desperate attempt to find a remedy for his failing hearing.

All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

Symphony No.4, IV. Allegro ma non troppo

BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda

Piano Sonata No 21 in C major, Op 53 Waldstein', II & III

Igor Levit, piano

Septet Op. 20, III. Tempo di Menuetto

Vienna Octet

Sonata in G major for violin and piano, Op 30 No 3, II. Tempo di minuetto

Esther Yoo, violin

Zhang Zuo, piano

6 Variations on an original theme in F major, Op 34

Alfred Brendel, piano

Beethoven struggles with his failing hearing. Presented by Donald Macleod

2020

To Live Life Alone

20200519

Beethoven comes to realise that his failing hearing might never improve. It's a turning point that will reverberate through the rest of his life and which Beethoven immortalised in an extraordinary letter to his brothers and to posterity.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

Piano Sonata No 17, Op.31 No.2 The Tempest', III. Allegretto

Khatia Buniatishvili, piano

Missa Solemnis: Kyrie

Julia Vardy, soprano

Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano

Vinson Cole, tenor

Ren退 Pape, bass

Berlin Radio Choir

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Georg Solti

Symphony No.2, Movts. III & IV

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Thierry Fischer

Violin Sonata in A major, Op.47 Kreutzer', II. Larghetto.

Veronika Eberle, violin

Oliver Schnyder, piano

Variations in Eb Op.35 Eroica', final movt.

Emanuel Ax, piano

Beethoven realises his failing hearing might never improve. Presented by Donald Macleod.

2020

Theatrical Diversions

20200520

Beethoven watches with interest as Vienna's newly built venue, the Theater and der Wien, begins to draw eager crowds to its programme of plays, opera and musical concerts. He decides it's the perfect place to put his own music before a wider public.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

March (Fidelio, Act 1)

Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado

Romance for violin and orchestra No 1, Op 40

Chlo뀀 Hanslip, violin

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier

5 Variations on `Rule Britannia` WoO 79

Gianluca Cascioli, piano

Christ on the Mount of Olives (extract)

Maria Venuti, soprano (Seraph)

Keith Lewis, tenor (Jesus)

Michel Brodard, bass (Petrus)

G䀀chinger Kantorei Stuttgart

Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling

Symphony No.3 Eroica', IV. Finale

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Thierry Fischer

Beethoven seizes an opportunity to reach a new audience. Presented by Donald Macleod.

2020

A Family Business

20200521

Beethoven was discovering that dealing with his publishers was consuming more of his time and energy. Frustrated and overwhelmed with work, the composer turned to his younger brother for help in managing his business relationships. It's a job for which the volatile Casper Carl van Beethoven was eminently unsuited.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

String Quartet No 1 in F Op 18 No 1, III. Scherzo

Danish String Quartet

Violin Sonata in G major Op 30 No 3, I. Allegro assai

Esther Yoo, violin

Zhang Zuo, piano

Piano Sonata No 18 in E flat major, Op 31 No 3

Christian Hadland, piano

String Quintet in C, Op 29, I. Allegro moderato

Elias Quartet

Malin Broman,viola

Gellert Lieder, VI. Busslied

Olaf B䀀r, baritone

Geoffrey Parsons, piano

Exhausted and overworked, Beethoven turns to his brother for help. With Donald Macleod.

2020

05 LAST

Still In The Game

20200522

Beethoven had faced his encroaching deafness first with desperation and then with a new resolve: to live for his art, and make art that really counted. That meant not only making strides as a composer but embracing his life as a star performer, while he still could.

Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

Piano Sonata No 17, Op.31 No.2 The Tempest', II. Adagio

Khatia Buniatishvili, paino

Quintet for piano and winds Op 16. III. Rondo

Robin Williams, oboe

Maximiliano Martin, clarinet

Peter Whelan, bassoon

Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn

Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Andante Favori WoO 57

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

Violin Sonata in A major Op 47 Kreutzer' I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto

Veronika Eberle, violin

Oliver Schnyder, piano

Piano Sonata No 21 in C major Op 53 Waldstein', I. Allegro con brio

Igor Levit, piano

Beethoven embraces his career as a performer, while he still can. With Donald Macleod.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2020	01	In Search Of A Cure	20200518	Beethoven turns to medical science in a desperate attempt to find a remedy for his failing hearing. All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future. Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Symphony No.4, IV. Allegro ma non troppo BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda Piano Sonata No 21 in C major, Op 53 Waldstein', II & III Igor Levit, piano Septet Op. 20, III. Tempo di Menuetto Vienna Octet Sonata in G major for violin and piano, Op 30 No 3, II. Tempo di minuetto Esther Yoo, violin Zhang Zuo, piano 6 Variations on an original theme in F major, Op 34 Alfred Brendel, piano Beethoven struggles with his failing hearing. Presented by Donald Macleod
2020	02	To Live Life Alone	20200519	Beethoven comes to realise that his failing hearing might never improve. It's a turning point that will reverberate through the rest of his life and which Beethoven immortalised in an extraordinary letter to his brothers and to posterity. All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future. Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Piano Sonata No 17, Op.31 No.2 The Tempest', III. Allegretto Khatia Buniatishvili, piano Missa Solemnis: Kyrie Julia Vardy, soprano Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano Vinson Cole, tenor Ren退 Pape, bass Berlin Radio Choir Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Georg Solti Symphony No.2, Movts. III & IV BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Thierry Fischer Violin Sonata in A major, Op.47 Kreutzer', II. Larghetto. Veronika Eberle, violin Oliver Schnyder, piano Variations in Eb Op.35 Eroica', final movt. Emanuel Ax, piano Beethoven realises his failing hearing might never improve. Presented by Donald Macleod.
2020	03	Theatrical Diversions	20200520	Beethoven watches with interest as Vienna's newly built venue, the Theater and der Wien, begins to draw eager crowds to its programme of plays, opera and musical concerts. He decides it's the perfect place to put his own music before a wider public. All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future. Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. March (Fidelio, Act 1) Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado Romance for violin and orchestra No 1, Op 40 Chlo뀀 Hanslip, violin BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier 5 Variations on `Rule Britannia` WoO 79 Gianluca Cascioli, piano Christ on the Mount of Olives (extract) Maria Venuti, soprano (Seraph) Keith Lewis, tenor (Jesus) Michel Brodard, bass (Petrus) G䀀chinger Kantorei Stuttgart Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling Symphony No.3 Eroica', IV. Finale BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Thierry Fischer Beethoven seizes an opportunity to reach a new audience. Presented by Donald Macleod.
2020	04	A Family Business	20200521	Beethoven was discovering that dealing with his publishers was consuming more of his time and energy. Frustrated and overwhelmed with work, the composer turned to his younger brother for help in managing his business relationships. It's a job for which the volatile Casper Carl van Beethoven was eminently unsuited. All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future. Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. String Quartet No 1 in F Op 18 No 1, III. Scherzo Danish String Quartet Violin Sonata in G major Op 30 No 3, I. Allegro assai Esther Yoo, violin Zhang Zuo, piano Piano Sonata No 18 in E flat major, Op 31 No 3 Christian Hadland, piano String Quintet in C, Op 29, I. Allegro moderato Elias Quartet Malin Broman,viola Gellert Lieder, VI. Busslied Olaf B䀀r, baritone Geoffrey Parsons, piano Exhausted and overworked, Beethoven turns to his brother for help. With Donald Macleod.
2020	05 LAST	Still In The Game	20200522	Beethoven had faced his encroaching deafness first with desperation and then with a new resolve: to live for his art, and make art that really counted. That meant not only making strides as a composer but embracing his life as a star performer, while he still could. All this week, Donald Macleod traces Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803. It was a time that saw remarkable developments in Beethoven's creativity as he pursued a self-declared new path' for his music. He undertook his most ambitious works yet, pouring his whole self into his art. At the same time his personal life was reaching a crisis point that would plunge him to the darkest depths of despair and threaten to ruin all his carefully laid plans for the future. Composer of the Week is returning to the story of Beethoven's life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Piano Sonata No 17, Op.31 No.2 The Tempest', II. Adagio Khatia Buniatishvili, paino Quintet for piano and winds Op 16. III. Rondo Robin Williams, oboe Maximiliano Martin, clarinet Peter Whelan, bassoon Alec Frank-Gemmill, horn Pavel Kolesnikov, piano Andante Favori WoO 57 Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Violin Sonata in A major Op 47 Kreutzer' I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto Veronika Eberle, violin Oliver Schnyder, piano Piano Sonata No 21 in C major Op 53 Waldstein', I. Allegro con brio Igor Levit, piano Beethoven embraces his career as a performer, while he still can. With Donald Macleod.