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Continuing his conversation with the conductor Marin Alsop and historian Simon Schama, Donald Macleod asks about the centrality of the notion of struggle in relation to Beethoven’s life and work.

All through 2020, as part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season, 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.

Symphony No 8 in F major, Op 93 (2nd movement)
Vienna Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, conductor

Sonata in A major, Op 30 No 1 for violin and piano
Gidon Kremer, violin
Martha Argerich, piano

Leonore Overture No 3
Berlin Philharmonic
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Piano Sonata No 27 in E minor, Op 90 (2nd movement)
Andras Schiff, piano

Piano Concerto No 4 in G major, Op 58 (2nd movement)
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Berlin Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, conductor

Produced by Martin Williams for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales