Beethoven Unleashed: At Home

Donald Macleod and Erica Buurman examine some of Beethoven’s
personal possessions at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn.


This week, Donald Macleod takes us to Beethoven’s home town of
Bonn and the Beethoven-Haus museum which now occupies the
building where he was born. Donald is joined by Erica Buurman,
director of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies,
and together they explore some of the everyday objects and
household artefacts owned by the composer to see what they can
tell us about how he lived. We’ll hear about Beethoven’s hearing
aids and the onset of his hearing loss. Next, with his personal
cashbox, they talk about his relationship with money and the
world of business. We’ll discover Beethoven’s domestic
circumstances by inspecting his cut-throat razor, and his walking
stick and writing desk shine a light on his everyday processes.
Finally, Donald and Erica compare various samples of the
composer’s hair.


Composer of the Week will be returning to the story of
Beethoven’s life and music throughout 2020. Part of Radio 3’s
Beethoven Unleashed season marking the 250th anniversary of
Beethoven’s birth.


Music featured: Bagatelles Op 126, Nos 1 & 6 Trio for
Clarinet, Cello & Piano Op 38 Overture, The Consecration of
the House Op 124 Wellington’s Victory (Part II) Piano Sonata No 9
in E, Op 14 No.1 Triple Concerto Cello Sonata in A, Op 69 Missa
Solemnis (Agnus Dei) Sonata No 29 in Bb, Op 106 ‘Hammerklavier’
Aus Goethes Faust, Op 75, No 3 Symphony No 6 String Quintet in Eb
Op 4 Mailied, Op 52 No 4 String Quartet Op 59 No 2 Trauerkantate
auf den Tod Kaiser Josephs II, No 3 Aria, “Da stiegen die
Menschen an’s Licht” Grosse Fugue (arr. Piano, 4 hands) Op 134
Piano Trio Op 1 No 3 Symphony No 1 Mass in C (Kyrie)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Beethoven Unleashed: At
Home https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000g3l7


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z