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Discussion for lively minds since 1781Discussion for lively minds since 1781
e-programme edition 4e-programme edition 44th May 20204th May 2020
The ManchesterThe ManchesterLit and PhilLit and Phil
We trust you found the last edition of our e-programme on ‘Education: Past and Future’ interesting. For this new edition we will do a bit of celebrating as 2020 marks Ludwig Van Bee-thoven’s 250th birthday. Born in Bonn, Germany, sometime in 1770, Beethoven’s lega-cy as a composer is immense in the history of western music. We all seem to know how the ‘Ode to Joy’ melody goes with-out having been taught it; and his music is travelling beyond our solar system as two of his pieces were etched onto the Voyager Golden Records in 1977.
For this fourth edition we will delve into the German com-poser’s life, hear the secrets behind his music and examine his legacy.
As with previous editions, the material listed in this e-pro-gramme is free and we do not own it.
ListenMelvyn Bragg and guestsBEETHOVENhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jbsjc
Front cover image: credit Pexels / Quentin Ecrepont
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Manchester Lit & Phil e-programme!
In this episode of the popular radio show ‘In Our Time’, Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and times of Ludwig Van Beethoven. He was born in Bonn to a family of musicians and his career would later bring him to Vienna where he met with much success. His later pieces which are some of his finest work were composed as he was becoming increasingly deaf.
ReadDominique LopiccoloTHE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC: BEETHOVEN’S CRITI-CAL EARLY YEARShttps://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcon-tent.cgi?article=1027&context=kabod
In this 2015 article Dominique Lopiccolo discusses Beethoven’s early years and in particular his relationship with his father, Johann Van Beethoven. Jo-hann was a tenor, albeit not a very good one (he was reported to have ‘‘a very stale voice’). He took over his son’s musical education which he imparted in a harsh manner apparently bringing young Ludwig sometimes to tears.
Edoardo Saccenti and colleaguesBEETHOVEN’S DEAFNESS AND HIS THREE STYLESh t t p s : / / w w w. r e s e a r c h g a t e . n e t / p u b l i c a -tion/51880094_Beethoven’s_deafness_and_his_three_styles
Jonathan BissEXPLORING BEETHOVEN’S PIANO SONATAShttps://www.coursera.org/learn/beethoven-pia-no-sonatas
www.manlitphil.ac.uk I @manlitphil I [email protected]
Learn
ListenBenjamin ZanderBEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY NO. 5 (DISCUSSION DISC)https://www.benjaminzander.org/audios/discus-sion-disc-beethoven-symphony-no-5-in-c-minor/
Read
In this online course offered by The Curtis Institute of Music, Jonathan Biss offers unique insight in each one of Beethoven’s 32 piano Sonatas. Rather than examining them from the point of view of a musicologist he instead does it from the point of view of the player. He will provide some analysis and historical background as well as explain an aspect of Beethoven’s music ex-emplified by the relevant sonata (for example Sonata Op. 57 is a really good example of Beethoven’s resourcefulness - he is able to use very little material to create a vast canva).The course is available now and requires around 22 hours of study. Listen
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Roger Nor-rington and Erica BurrmanHOW TO PLAY...BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONY NO 7https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001rmc
In this paper published in 2011 in the British Medical Journal, Edoardo Sac-centi suggests that the three styles of Beethoven’s music writing can be very much linked to the progression of his deafness. To support his theory he and his colleagues looked at the use of high notes in Beethoven’s String Quartets.
To access the article, click on the button ‘Download full-text PDF’.
This is a unique opportunity to eavesdrop on a rehearsal of Beethoven’s Sym-phony No 7 conducted by renowned conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. We will also hear from Sir Roger Norrington as he recalls his experiences conduct-ing Beethoven. To conclude the exploration, Erica Buurman ‘looks at what inspired the famously grumpy composer to produce his most joyful symphony yet’.
English conductor Benjamin Zander is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Or-chestra. In this recording he discusses the ‘problem of interpretation’ of the tempi notably. He mixes commentary with comparison between interpreta-tions by different conductors and other anecdotes.
Clemmie Burton-Hill and guestsTHE BUSINESS OF BEETHOVENhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cncp
www.manlitphil.ac.uk I @manlitphil I [email protected]
WatchNatalya St. ClairMUSIC AND MATH: THE GENIUS OF BEETHOVENhttps://ed.ted.com/lessons/music-and-math-the-genius-of-beethoven-natalya-st-clair
Listen
Page 2: Ludwig Van Beethoven bust, credit: Pixabay / WikiImages, Johann Van Beethoven , credit: Wikipedia / Public Domain. Page 3: Playing the piano, credit: Unsplash / Jordan Whitfield, Portrait of Benjamin Zanger, Credit: Wikipedia / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, Erik Charlton. Page 4: Close-up, credit: Pixabay / PublicDomainPictures, Orchestra, credit: Pixabay / hornistjj. Page 5: Sheet Music, credit: Pixabay / Anja, Stack of coins, credit: Pixabay / PublicDomainPictures. Page 6: Drowning, credit: Unsplash / Andy Kelly, Mixing desk, credit: Pixabay / Free-Photos. Page 7: Sydney Opera, credit: Unsplash / Michael Williams.
In this series of interviews recorded last year, Clemmie Burton-Hill touches upon a little known side of the great composer: Beethoven the entrepreneur.He was an innovator in many ways, for example he capitalised on the newly invented publishing capabilities as well as the start of the mass production of pianos to sell his piano Sonatas. He also requested that piano manufacturers make more robust pianos. Just a few of the examples discussed in these very interesting interviews.
open.eduCREATING MUSICAL SOUNDSh t t p s : / / w w w. o p e n . e d u / o p e n l e a r n / s c i -ence-maths-technology/engineering-and-tech-nology/technology/creating-musical-sounds/con-tent-section-0?active-tab=description-tab
ReadGardiner MorseIN A CRISIS, WHAT WOULD BEETHOVEN DO? RE-WRITE THE RULEBOOKhttps://hbr.org/2009/03/in-a-crisis-what-would-beethov%C2%A0
Learn
For this article Gardiner Morse interviewed lecturer, composer and historian Robert Greenberg about lessons that could be drawn from Beethoven’s ca-pacity to manage crises. This is probably a rather unexpected source of inspi-ration for business people and that makes the article all the more interesting.
Feeling inspired? In this free course, you will learn all about muscial sounds and what makes an instrument.
This course is open now and requires around 20 hours of study.
While very short, this TED Animations prepared by Natalya St.Clair explains the mathematics behind the beauty of Beethoven’s compositions - which is in a way, rather ironic as he wrote in a 1801 letter of being ‘really an incompe-tent business man who is bad at arithmetic’ (!).
www.manlitphil.ac.uk I @manlitphil I [email protected]
Take a walkMoliere allegedly wrote ‘Of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive.’
Click on the links below to explore a few of the extraordinary places where the most expensive noises are produced.
IVRPA - Vienna State Operahttps://ivrpa.org/panorama/vienna-state-opera/
National Geographic - Top 10 opera houseshttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/opera-houses/
Sydney Opera House Archive - Tour the Sydney Opera House in 360°https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hunddVoMjo
Remember that there is a Forum available if you would like to discuss any-thing interesting that you have learned or discovered after exploring the pro-gramme with other members
To join the forum click on the link below. You will be asked to register for the forum (this doesn’t duplicate your membership):
https://the-manchester-lit-phil.mn.co/
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