Beethoven Unleashed: At the Keyboard

Pianist Jonathan Biss shares the wonder of Beethoven's piano sonatas with Donald Macleod.

Recorded at the piano, in the Angela Burgess Recital Hall at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Jonathan shares his life-long passion for Beethoven with Donald. As they talk, he demonstrates how and why Beethoven's piano sonatas advanced the genre far beyond anything that anyone had ever achieved previously. As they talk we will gain a performer's perspective of Beethoven's developmental trajectory.

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:

Piano Sonata No 2 in A major, Op 2 No 2 Sonata No 4 in E flat major, Op 7 (Grande sonate) Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major Piano sonata No 15 in D, Op 28 (Pastorale) Piano Sonata No 17 in D minor, Op 31 No 2 (The Tempest) Piano Sonata No 23 in F minor, Op 57 (Appassionata) Piano Sonata No 21 in C major, Op 53 (Waldstein) Piano Sonata No 30 in E major, Op 109 (excerpt) Piano Sonata No 31 in A flat major, Op 110 Piano Sonata No 5 in C minor, Op 10 no 1 Piano Sonata No 12 in A flat major, Op 26 Piano Sonata No 17 in D minor, Op 31 No 2 (The Tempest) Piano Sonata “quasi una fantasia”, Op 27 (Moonlight) Piano Sonata No 20 in G major, Op 49 No 2 Piano Sonata No 3 in C major, Op 2 Piano Sonata No 27 in E minor, Op 90 Piano Sonata No 32 in C minor, Op 111

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith 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 the Keyboard https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h02g

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