Poets and Authors
Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's letters, read by Adrian Lester. Today, Beethoven corresponds with leading writers, his idol Goethe, and is in urgent need of some fresh quills.
Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's letters. Read by Adrian Lester, today Beethoven corresponds with some of the leading writers of his day, including his idol, Goethe, and a fascinating young writer and artist, Bettina Brentano. Short of the tools to write his music, he's also in touch with one of his best friends, with an urgent request for some fresh quills.
More than 1,770 of Beethoven's letters still survive and, over the course of a week, Donald Macleod delves into five different areas of this extensive collection. Today, Adrian Lester reads excerpts from Beethoven鈥檚 correspondence with a range of the leading writers of the day, from the author of Adelaide, Friedrich von Matthison (who provided the text for one of Beethoven鈥檚 most popular songs), to Beethoven's idol, Goethe. He also sends a chatty roundup of news to the young artist and writer Bettina Brentano in Berlin, and an urgent request for fresh quills to his old friend, Count Zmeskall.
Music includes:
Gesang aus der Ferne, WoO 137
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
J枚rg Demus, piano
Adelaide
Stephan Genz, baritone
Roger Vignoles, piano
Opferlied, Op 121b
Maikki S盲ikk盲, soprano
Kristina Raudanen, alto
Andreas Nordstr枚m, tenor
The Key Ensemble
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam, conductor
Coriolan Overture
Anima Eterna
Jos van Immerseel, conductor
Kennst du das Land (Goethe)
Pamela Coburn, soprano
Leonard Hokanson, piano
Last on
More episodes
Next
You are at the last episode
Music Played
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Lied aus der Ferne, WoO 137
Performer: J枚rg Demus. Singer: Dietrich Fischer鈥怐ieskau.- DG : 453-782 2.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 25.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Adelaide, Op 46
Performer: Roger Vignoles. Singer: Stephan Genz.- HYPERION : CDA-67055.
- HYPERION.
- 3.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Opferlied, Op 121b
Singer: Maikki S盲ikk盲. Singer: Kristina Raudanen. Singer: Andreas Nordstr枚m. Orchestra: Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Leif Segerstam. Choir: Key Ensemble.- NAXOS : 8574042.
- NAXOS.
- 28.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Merkenstein, Op 100
Performer: Walter Olbertz. Singer: Adele Stolte. Singer: Peter Schreier.- DG 4537822.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 21.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Coriolan Overture, Op 62
Orchestra: Anima Eterna. Director: Jos van Immerseel.- ZIG ZAG : 080402.-6.
- ZIG ZAG.
- 5.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Kennst du das Land, Op 75 No 1
Performer: Leonard Hokanson. Singer: Pamela Coburn.- CAPRICCIO : C5140.
- CAPRICCIO.
- 21.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Aus Goethes Faust, Op 75 No 3
Performer: Iain Burnside. Singer: Roderick Williams.- Signum SIGCD139.
- Signum.
- 5.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Abendlied untern gestirnten Himmel, WoO 150
Performer: Graham Johnson. Singer: Gerald Finley.- HYPERION : CDJ33051/3.
- HYPERION.
- 19.
Broadcast
- Fri 31 Jul 2020 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥 the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
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.