Ludwig van Beethoven: Conversations with Friends

Donald Macleod is joined by Raphael Wallfisch and Sara Bitlloch to discuss Beethoven’s early chamber music.

All through 2020, Donald Macleod takes an unprecedented deep dive into the compelling story and extraordinary music of Ludwig van Beethoven. In this uniquely ambitious series, told across 125 episodes of Composer of the Week, Donald puts us inside Beethoven’s world and explores his hopes, struggles and perseverance in all the colourful detail this amazing narrative deserves. Alongside this in-depth biography, Donald will also be meeting and talking to Beethoven enthusiasts and experts from across the world to discover how his music continues to speak to us in the 21st century. Through story and sound, the series builds into a vivid new portrait of this composer, born 250 years ago this year, who made art that changed how people saw themselves and understood the world.

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.

Music featured: String Trio No 3 in G major: Op 9, No 1 (3rd movement - excerpt; 4th movement) Cello Sonata in F major Op 5 No 1 (Allegro) Piano Trio in C minor Op 1 No 3 (4th movement) String quartet in F major Op 18 No 1 (2nd movement) Violin Sonata in D major Op 12 No 1 (1st movement) Sonatina in C major for mandolin and piano WoO44 No 1 String Quartet in C minor Op 18 No 4 (3rd movement) Violin Sonata in A major Op 30 No 1 (3rd movement) Serenade in D major Op 8 (1st and 2nd movements) Cello Sonata No 2 in G minor Op 5 (1st movement) String Quintet in C major Op 29 (4th movement) Piano Trio Op 121a, “Kakadu Variations” String Quartet in F major No 7, Op 59 (“Razumovsky”) (4th movement) Violin Sonata in A major No. 9 Op 47 ("Kreutzer") (1st movement) Septet in E flat major for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and double bass Op 20 (2nd movement) String Quartet in C major Op 59 No 3 (“Razumovsky”) (1st movement) Piano Trio No 5 in D major Op 70 No 1 ("Ghost") (2nd movement) Violin Sonata No 5 in F major Op 24 ("Spring") (1st and 4th movements) String Quartet in E flat Op 74 (“Harp”) (1st movement) String Trio in C minor Op 9 No 3 (1st mvt) String Quartet in F minor (“Serioso”) Op 95 (1st and 4th mvts) Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major Op 69 (1st mvt) Piano Trio in B flat ("Archduke") Op 97 (1st mvt)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Iain Chambers 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: Conversations with Friends https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f5mp

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