Composer of the Week: Beethoven: Conversations with Friends

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Composer of the Week

Music: Classical

Composer of the Week - Brand

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.

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Beethoven Unleashed: Conversations with Friends

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Donald Macleod reveals how Beethoven's chamber works anticipated his final creative phase.

Cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to explore the way Beethoven's middle period began to anticipate his final creative phase.

This week cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to talk about Beethoven’s early chamber music from 1795 to 1811, including beloved works such as the ‘Razumovsky’ quartets, the ‘Kreutzer’ violin sonata, and the ‘Ghost’ and ‘Archduke’ piano trios.

Today they explore the way Beethoven’s chamber music of his Middle Period began to push towards and anticipate his final creative phase.

Beethoven’s composing career is generally divided into three phases: the Early Period, up to 1802; the compositions that make up his Middle Period, the years from 1803 to 1814; and lastly the extraordinary, ambitious works composed between then and his death. 

Today we hear significant works from Beethoven’s oeuvre, including the “Serioso” String Quartet, his Third Cello Sonata, and his “Archduke” Piano Trio.

String Trio in C minor Op 9 No 3 (1st mvt)
The Leopold Trio

String Quartet in F minor (“Serioso”) Op 95 (1st and 4th mvts) 
Belcea Quartet

Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major Op 69 (1st mvt) 
Adrian Brendel, cello
Alfred Brendel, piano

Piano Trio in B flat ("Archduke") Op 97 (1st mvt) 
Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch


Produced by Iain Chambers for BBC Wales

Composer of the Week: Beethoven Unleashed: Conversations with Friends

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Donald Macleod describes how Beethoven forged a distinctive new style of chamber music.

Cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to talk about Beethoven's early chamber music, from 1795 to 1811.

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