Ludwig van Beethoven: Why Beethoven?

Donald Macleod asks conductor Marin Alsop and historian Simon Schama why Beethoven's life and work still matter today.

All through 2020, as part of Radio 3's Beethoven Unleashed season, 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 twenty-first 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.

Music featured: Bagatelle in A minor (Fur Elise), WoO 59 String Quartet No 10, Op 74 (Harp) (3rd movement) Symphony No 3 in E flat major (Eroica) (3rd movement) Grosse Fuge, Op 133 Symphony No 5 in C minor (1st and 2nd movements) Symphony No 8 in F major, Op 93 (2nd movement) Sonata in A major, Op 30 No 1 for violin and piano Leonore Overture No 3 Piano Sonata No 27 in E minor, Op 90 (2nd movement) Piano Concerto No 4 in G major, Op 58 (2nd movement) Piano Sonata No 13 in E flat major, Op 27 No 1 (2nd movement) Symphony No 3 in E flat major (Eroica), Op 55 (2nd movement) The Creatures of Prometheus: Overture Fidelio: Act II finale Symphony No 4 in B flat major, Op 60 (1st movement) Piano Sonata No 14 (Moonlight), Op 27 No 2 (1st movement) String Quartet in F minor, Op 95 (1st movement) Egmont Overture, Op 84 Symphony No 9 in D major (Choral), Op 125 String Quartet in A minor, Op 132 (5th movement) String Quartet in E flat major, Op 127 (1st movement) Bagatelle in E flat major, Op 126 No 6 Mass in D major (Missa Solemnis), Op 123 (Kyrie) Coriolan Overture, Op 62 String Quartet in B flat major, Op 130 (5th movement)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Martin Williams 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: Why Beethoven? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000d7zg

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