Beethoven Unleashed - Private Papers

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2020

The Sketchbooks

20200629

Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's musical notebooks to see what they can tell us about his composing process.

This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life.

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 Op.18 No.2 IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto

Tokyo String Quartet

Piano Sonata No.8, Op.13 Path退tique

Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

Violin Sonata Op.30 No.2 IV Finale

Jennifer Pike, violin

Daniel Tong, piano

Symphony No.3 Eroica', IV. Allegro Molto

London Symphony Orchestra

conducted by Bernard Haitink

Donald Macleod asks what Beethoven's musical notebooks can tell us about how he worked.

2020

Letter To The 'immortal Beloved'

20200630

Donald Macleod examines a love letter by Beethoven and tries to uncover the identity of the mystery woman who inspired it.

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.

Violin Sonata No.5, Op. 24, II. Andante molto expressivo

Gidon Kremer, violin

Martha Argerich, piano

Piano Sonata No.24, Op.78, II. Allegro Vivace

Maurizio Pollini, piano

Andante Favori, WoO.57

Sviatoslav Richter, piano

Diabelli Variations, Op.120 (Vars. 18-24)

Alfred Brendel, piano

Missa Solemnis: Credo (excerpt)

Monteverdi Choir

Orchestre R退volutionnaire et Romantique

conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner

Donald Macleod investigates an intriguing mystery about Beethoven's love life.

2020

The Heiligenstadt Testament

20200701

Donald Macleod looks at the great psychological crisis that befell Beethoven in his early 30s, and the extraordinary letter to posterity he penned as a result.

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.16, Op.31 No.1, I. Allegro Vivace

Louis Lortie, piano

Violin Sonata No.8, Op.30 no.3. III. Allegro Vivace

Gidon Kremer, violin

Martha Argerich, piano

Symphony No.2, II. Larghetto

Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart

conducted Sir Roger Norrington

Variations for Piano, Eroica', Op. 35

Leslie Howard, piano

Donald Macleod looks at the letter to posterity Beethoven penned in his early 30s.

2020

The Conversation Books

20200702

Donald Macleod leafs through the notebooks used by Beethoven's circle to converse in writing with the deaf composer.

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.

Sonata for Cello and Piano Op.69, II. Scherzo

Mischa Maisky, cello

Martha Argerich, piano

Fidelio: Act 1 No.1: Jetzt, Sch䀀tzchen, jetzt sind wir allein

Christoph Strehl, tenor (Jaquino)

Rachel Harnisch, soprano (Marzelline)

Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Lucerne Festival Orchestra

Conducted by Claudio Abbado

Piano Trio, Op. 97 Archduke', III. Andante Cantabile, Ma Per con Moto - Poco più Adagio

Trio Owon

Triple Concerto, Op.56, I. Allegro

Gordan Nikolitch, violin

Tim Hugh, cello

Lars Vogt, piano

London Symphony Orchestra

conducted by Bernard Haitink

Donald Macleod explores notebooks used to converse in writing with the deaf composer.

2020

05 LAST

First Edition

20200703

Donald Macleod examines a rare first edition score of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony with an inscription in the composers own handwriting, and asks what printed music can tell us about Beethoven's world?

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 Quintet Op.29, III. Scherzo

Marleen Thiers, viola

Kuijken Quartet

Trio in Bb, WoO.39

Trio ɀl退giaque

Symphony No.7, IV. Allegro con Brio

Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra

conducted by Sir Roger Norrington

Piano Sonata No.16, Op.31 No.1, II. Adagio grazio

Kun-Woo Paik, piano

String Quartet, Op.59 No.3, I. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace

Alban Berg Quartet

Producer: Chris Taylor

Donald Macleod examines a rare first edition score of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2020	01	The Sketchbooks	20200629	Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's musical notebooks to see what they can tell us about his composing process. This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life. 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 Op.18 No.2 IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto Tokyo String Quartet Piano Sonata No.8, Op.13 Path退tique Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Violin Sonata Op.30 No.2 IV Finale Jennifer Pike, violin Daniel Tong, piano Symphony No.3 Eroica', IV. Allegro Molto London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink Donald Macleod asks what Beethoven's musical notebooks can tell us about how he worked.
2020	02	Letter To The 'immortal Beloved'	20200630	Donald Macleod examines a love letter by Beethoven and tries to uncover the identity of the mystery woman who inspired it. This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life. 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. Violin Sonata No.5, Op. 24, II. Andante molto expressivo Gidon Kremer, violin Martha Argerich, piano Piano Sonata No.24, Op.78, II. Allegro Vivace Maurizio Pollini, piano Andante Favori, WoO.57 Sviatoslav Richter, piano Diabelli Variations, Op.120 (Vars. 18-24) Alfred Brendel, piano Missa Solemnis: Credo (excerpt) Monteverdi Choir Orchestre R退volutionnaire et Romantique conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner Donald Macleod investigates an intriguing mystery about Beethoven's love life.
2020	03	The Heiligenstadt Testament	20200701	Donald Macleod looks at the great psychological crisis that befell Beethoven in his early 30s, and the extraordinary letter to posterity he penned as a result. This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life. 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.16, Op.31 No.1, I. Allegro Vivace Louis Lortie, piano Violin Sonata No.8, Op.30 no.3. III. Allegro Vivace Gidon Kremer, violin Martha Argerich, piano Symphony No.2, II. Larghetto Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart conducted Sir Roger Norrington Variations for Piano, Eroica', Op. 35 Leslie Howard, piano Donald Macleod looks at the letter to posterity Beethoven penned in his early 30s.
2020	04	The Conversation Books	20200702	Donald Macleod leafs through the notebooks used by Beethoven's circle to converse in writing with the deaf composer. This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life. 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. Sonata for Cello and Piano Op.69, II. Scherzo Mischa Maisky, cello Martha Argerich, piano Fidelio: Act 1 No.1: Jetzt, Sch䀀tzchen, jetzt sind wir allein Christoph Strehl, tenor (Jaquino) Rachel Harnisch, soprano (Marzelline) Mahler Chamber Orchestra Lucerne Festival Orchestra Conducted by Claudio Abbado Piano Trio, Op. 97 Archduke', III. Andante Cantabile, Ma Per con Moto - Poco più Adagio Trio Owon Triple Concerto, Op.56, I. Allegro Gordan Nikolitch, violin Tim Hugh, cello Lars Vogt, piano London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink Donald Macleod explores notebooks used to converse in writing with the deaf composer.
2020	05 LAST	First Edition	20200703	Donald Macleod examines a rare first edition score of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony with an inscription in the composers own handwriting, and asks what printed music can tell us about Beethoven's world? This week Donald Macleod is joined by Beethoven scholar Erica Buurman and biographer Jan Swafford to investigate some the many documents and papers that Beethoven left behind after his death, which are now scattered in archives and collections across the world. Donald and his guests explore high-quality, digital facsimiles of Beethoven's most personal records including his letters, notebooks and journals; scouring them for clues to his relationships, his work and his everyday life. 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 Quintet Op.29, III. Scherzo Marleen Thiers, viola Kuijken Quartet Trio in Bb, WoO.39 Trio ɀl退giaque Symphony No.7, IV. Allegro con Brio Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Roger Norrington Piano Sonata No.16, Op.31 No.1, II. Adagio grazio Kun-Woo Paik, piano String Quartet, Op.59 No.3, I. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace Alban Berg Quartet Producer: Chris Taylor Donald Macleod examines a rare first edition score of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.