Beethoven in Nine Pieces with Laura Tunbridge

10/28/20 • 30 min

This week I am joined by Professor Laura Tunbridge, whose book Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces (published earlier this year by Viking Books) offers new perspectives on the man, the music and early nineteenth-century Vienna in this, the year of his 250th anniversary. Laura guides us through the nine works that she chose for the book, offering new perspectives on some of the choices made by this complicated genius.

www.prestomusic.com/classical
You can buy Laura's book here:
Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces
Laura Tunbridge
https://www.prestomusic.com/books/products/8719490--beethoven-a-life-in-nine-pieces
The recordings in this episode:
Beethoven: Septet, Op. 20 & Clarinet Trio, Op. 11
Berkeley Ensemble
Resonus Classics - RES10255
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8719600--beethoven-septet-op-20-clarinet-trio-op-11
Beethoven: Spring & Kreutzer Sonatas
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin) & Lambert Orkis (piano)
DG - 4791679
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8031599--beethoven-spring-kreutzer-sonatas
Beethoven – Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Warner Classics – 2564637792
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7951068--harnoncourt-beethoven
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy
Christiane Karg (soprano), Sophie Harmsen (mezzo), Werner Güra (tenor), Florian Boesch (baritone), Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
Freiburger Barockorchester, Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Pablo Heras-Casado
Harmonia Mundi - HMM90243132
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8784812--beethoven-symphony-no-9-choral-fantasy
Beethoven: Lieder
Matthias Goerne (baritone), Jan Lisiecki (piano)
DG – 4838351
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8736187--beethoven-lieder
Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan), Nina Stemme (Leonore), Falk Struckmann (Pizarro),
Lucerne Festival Orchestra & Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Claudio Abbado
Decca – 4782551
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7997601--beethoven-fidelio-op-72
Beethoven - The late Piano Sonatas
Maurizio Pollini
DG – 4497402
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7930708--beethoven-the-late-piano-sonatas
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123
Lucy Crowe (soprano), Jennifer Johnston (mezzo), James Gilchrist (tenor), Matthew Rose (bass). Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique & Monteverdi Choir, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
SDG - SDG718
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8034633--beethoven-missa-solemnis-in-d-major-op-123
Beethoven - Late String Quartets
Takács Quartet
Decca - 4708492
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7933919--beethoven-late-string-quartets

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Previous Episode

Played in the USA with Rob Cowan

We are delighted to welcome back Rob Cowan, who was our inaugural guest back in June. Rob and Paul discuss several recent historical boxsets that collect together recordings by three American émigré artists; pianist Andor Földes, conductor Antal Dorati and violinist Isaac Stern.
www.prestomusic.com/classical
The recordings discussed in this episode:
Andor Foldes: Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings
Eloquence - ELQ4841256
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8797738--andor-foldes-complete-deutsche-grammophon-recordings
Mozart, Schubert: Symphonies
London Symphony Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Walter Susskind, Antal Dorati
Eloquence - ELQ4840353
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8813389--mozart-schubert-symphonies
The Mozart & Haydn Recordings On Mercury Living
Antal Dorati
Eloquence - ELQ4840385
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8813388--the-mozart-haydn-recordings-on-mercury-living
Isaac Stern - The Complete Columbia Analogue Recordings
Sony - 19439724252
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8793248--isaac-stern-the-complete-columbia-analogue-recordings

Next Episode

The Stalin Prize with Marina Frolova-Walker

In the midst of the awards season for classical music recordings, this week I am joined by Marina Frolova-Walker, a Russian-born British musicologist and music historian, to discuss the subject of her 2016 book Stalin's Music Prize: Soviet Culture and Politics. Marina specialises in German Romanticism, Russian and Soviet music, and nationalism in music, and is Professor of Music History and Director of Studies in Music at Clare College, Cambridge. Its a great chat, taking in some of the less well known Russian composers like Myaskovsky, Weinberg and Kabalevsky as well as the two titans, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

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