For those of you who get Digital TV, BBC Four starts a Beethoven season tonight beginning at 7:05pm with a Masterclass on Beethoven's Sonatas by Barenboim. After this is a dramatisation of a "day in the life of" Beethoven during rehearsals for his Eroica Symphony which is followed by "The Mark Steel Lectures" on Beethoven.
The programmes continue throughout the week.

Gae

Thanks Gae - didn't know this was on. my daughter is watching avidly.

For a whole six days Radio 3 is devoting its entire schedule, 24 hours a day, to Beethoven's music, starting this Sunday (5 June) and finishing next Friday. I make that 144 hours of Beethoven!

The plan is to broadcast every single work of Beethoven's - all the symphonies, concertos, string quartets, piano sonatas, etc, plus rarities like the Romance Cantabile for Piano, Flute, Basson and Orchestra. And, no - I'd never heard of it either!

Been watching this all evening. The Beethoven Eroica drama is an Omnibus repeat I think. I've seen it before anyway.
I found the Barenboim Masterclasses fascinating to watch. It was great hearing all the different ideas of interpretation coming from Barenboim but the nagging question in the back of my mind was should anyone, even Barenboim, imbue their own ideas and interpretation on another artist? Especially these obviously already very gifted pianists who were in the Class. The differences in performance were very subtle too and would really only be picked up by someone following the score. Even then, it could be seen as personal interpretation. I think the important aspect taken from the Masterclass was that these pianists may take with them a new way of looking and thinking about the music they play and also will I'm sure take away Barenboim's energy, enthusiasm and inspiration that he has towards the Sonatas. Very enjoyable.

Gae

P.S. Apparently Barenboim had memorised all of the Beethoven Sonatas (32 of them?) by the age of 17.

I can't wait until radio 3 start their Beethoven week! He is undoubtedly my favourite composer. It's so exciting!
By the way, this has probably come up before, but has anyone read John Suchet's fictional biography trilogy of Beethoven- it's amazing.

I saw the masterclass and a bit of the film

I think I have seen that Eroica drama. It was taped for me when I was away two years ago. Very interesting.

I can't watch it! Freview doesn't stretch as far as where I live so I can't watch it.

Can you get radio 3 on a "normal" radio? And if so, what frequency is it?

QUOTE (purple dolphin @ May 31 2005, 12:06 PM)

I can't watch it! Freview doesn't stretch as far as where I live so I can't watch it. Can you get radio 3 on a "normal" radio? And if so, what frequency is it?

Yes Radio 3 should be readily available depends on where you are what the frequency is, check here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/radio3.shtml

Or you can listen online by clicking on the "Listen" link on the same page

Jane

On soon, a Chopin prelude followed by Yehudi Menuhin playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto in a recording from 1962! I'm off to watch it now.

Gae

QUOTE

On soon, a Chopin prelude followed by Yehudi Menuhin playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto in a recording from 1962! I'm off to watch it now. Gae

What do you think, Gae?

Thought the sound quality was a bit lacking and the BBC cameraman's focus? Not impressive. I have a very old, I mean, classic archive of Leonid Kogan playing the BEETHOVEN CONCERTO and the sound was much better! And the camera? Absolutely superb - the French broadcasters didn't care abt poor Kogan's privacy and zoomed right in - one can see his fingers close up! Poor Kogan - his son said he was a very private man.

However, Barenboim's masterclass was absolutely fascinating!!!

I was just so delighted to see Menuhin performing live that everything else seemed by-the-by. To be honest, I didn't think the sound was that bad considering it was 1962!! Throughout the concert I followed the music in the Concerto score that I have which was fun to do. I am no expert violinist, being only a beginner, but I thought Menuhin's performance was mesmerizing!

Gae

Going to be a party pooper, sorry: why oh why oh why do we need 6 days of constant Beethoven??? Don't we hear enough of him already? I'd rather hear more music by people who don't get played very much.

And I know I'll get the 'but he's just the greatest' line back, but it's a myth - he has just had better PR! (Read Tia De Nora: Beethoven and the Construction of Genius') There are plenty of other 'great' undiscovered composers. (Clara Schumann springs to mind.)

I'll stand back and try and keep out of the range of the things being thrown at me now.

QUOTE (hgirl @ May 31 2005, 12:22 AM)

By the way, this has probably come up before, but has anyone read John Suchet's fictional biography trilogy of Beethoven- it's amazing.

I got hold of it after someone recommended it on these forums. One of the many benefits of this community I am grateful for.