Composer of the Week: Beethoven: In His Own Words

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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.

Composer of the Week: Beethoven Unleashed: In His Own Words: Poets and Authors

Beethoven Unleashed: In His Own Words

Poets and Authors

BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, Beethoven Unleashed: In His Own Words, Poets and Authors

Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's letters, with excerpts read by Adrian Lester.

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’s 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’s 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
Jörg Demus, piano

Adelaide   
Stephan Genz, baritone
Roger Vignoles, piano 

Opferlied, Op 121b   
Maikki Säikkä, soprano
Kristina Raudanen, alto 
Andreas Nordström, 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

Composer of the Week: Beethoven Unleashed: In His Own Words

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Donald Macleod explores Beethoven's letters with excerpts read by Adrian Lester.

More than 1,770 of Beethoven's letters still survive. Donald Macleod delves into five different areas of this extensive collection, with excerpts read by Adrian Lester.

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