2020 was to be the main stage for Ludwig van Beethoven. Just about everybody was ready to celebrate the 250th year of his birth with concerts, installations and special exhibitions. And then we got Covid-19, and Beethoven wasn’t the main

For Beethoven the pianist, the piano sonata and the piano concerto were his star vehicle of choice. In the piano sonatas, his tremendous virtuosity came to the fore. Remember that when he came to Vienna, he was there as the

We’ve looked at Monumental Beethoven where Beethoven is a presence that overwhelms everything – he’s depicted in statuary all over the world. There’s another type of artwork, however, where Beethoven appears, but not front and center. He’s used as a

In October 1825 Ludwig van Beethoven moved into his final lodgings at the Schwarzspanierhaus, the old monastery of the “Black Spaniards,” where he remained until his death in 1827. His apartment was located on the upper floor of the building

Ludwig van Beethoven suffered from a variety of medical conditions throughout his life. We all know about his struggle with deafness, and how it affected his mental health by creating a sense of deep isolation and frustration. However, he also

On 16 January 1817 the Wiener Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung announced the forthcoming publication of Beethoven’s A-major sonata op. 101. According to the newspaper, with reference to the title page, the sonata was dedicated to “Freyin Dorothea Ertmann née Graumann.” Beethoven

Everyone will have an opinion on this – do you want the traditional German heavy recordings? The new interpretive English opinions? Do you want national orchestras? Idiosyncratic readings that make you hear old warhorses with a new manner of understanding?

Beethoven’s apartment at Ungargasse 5 sports a unique memorial plague. It reads, “In this house Ludwig van Beethoven finished his Symphony No. 9 during winter 1823/24. In memorial of the centenary of the world premiere on 7 May 1824, this