Beethoven

153 Posts
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Opening the House: Beethoven’s Die Weihe des Hauses
For the re-opening of the Josefstadt Theatre in Vienna, a new work was commissioned from Beethoven. The theatre was founded in 1788 and had a remodel and rebuild in 1822, which is when they contacted Beethoven for a work. Die
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On This Day
11 April: Beethoven’s Archduke Trio Was Premiered
Johann Baptist Malfatti, Elder von Monteregio was an Italian/Austrian doctor famous for being one of Beethoven’s physicians. Beethoven first made his acquaintance in 1809 and seemed to have consulted him several times in 1810. Early in 1810 he also met
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Our Favourite Warhorse: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
The powerful start to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has meant various things over the centuries. During his time, according to his assistant, the music was taken to signal Fate knocking at the door. During the second world war, it was a
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On This Day
2 April: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 Was Premiered
During his teenage years in Bonn, Ludwig van Beethoven sketched an incomplete draft for a passionate symphonic movement in C minor. Dating from between 1790 and 1792, the draft was never brought to fruition, and it took Beethoven almost another
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On This Day
26 March: Ludwig van Beethoven Died
A biographer reports, “A violent thunderstorm struck Vienna in the afternoon of 26 March 1827. At 5:45 pm, a sudden flash of lightning was reported, and the dying man suddenly raised his head, stretched out his own right arm majestically—like
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On This Day
21 March: Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 Was Premiered
Completed in early 1826, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 premiered on 21 March 1826 as part of the concluding subscription concert by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. The work immediately caused great puzzlement, as we read in a contemporary review, “The most
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New Horn Techniques: Beethoven’s Rondino
Beethoven left his home city of Bonn in 1792 for Vienna, where he stayed for the rest of his life. This was his second attempt at Vienna – he had been sent there by his patron in 1787 where he
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Nicknamed Compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight” In the wonderful and whacky world of fancy nicknames, nothing is more famous than Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. Unsurprisingly, that particular nickname does not originate with
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