A Prince among Patrons
As his money begins to run out, Beethoven desperately needs to find a reliable source of income in Vienna. Could Prince Carl Lichnowsky be the answer to his prayers?
As his money begins to run out, Beethoven desperately needs to find a reliable source of income in Vienna. Could Prince Carl Lichnowsky be the answer to his prayers?
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.
Sextet for horns and string quartet, Op 81b
Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet
Othmar Berger and Manfred Klier, horns
Symphony No 2 (1st movement)
成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales
Thierry Fischer, conductor
Quartet in E flat major, Op 127 (3rd and 4th movements)
Van Kuijk Quartet
Piano Sonata No 12 in A flat, Op 26
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano
Produced by Chris Taylor for 成人快手 Wales
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sextet for Horns and String Quartet in E flat major, Op 81b
Performer: Members Of The Berlin Philharmonic Octet. Performer: Manfred Klier.- Philips 4260912.
- Philips.
- 9.
-
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 2, Op 36 (1st movement)
Orchestra: 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Thierry Fischer. -
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet in E flat major, Op 127 (3rd and 4th movements)
Ensemble: Van Kuijk Quartet. -
![]()
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No 12 in A flat major, Op 26
Performer: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.- 成人快手 Legends, 成人快手L 4064-2.
- 成人快手 Legends.
- 1.
Broadcast
- Wed 26 Feb 2020 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.