Beethoven's early works show admiration for his predecessors, Händel and Mozart, but around 1800 he consciously decided to forge his own path.
Compositional Technique
The Passacaglia, a form of bass variations, was a favorite for improvisation for Beethoven, with Händel serving as a role model.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven, though famous for his improvisations, left no room for improvisation in the interpretation of his written works, unlike Mozart.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The French Revolution provided an ideological backdrop for Beethoven to find and write his unique music, inviting listeners to create a new, better world.
Interpretation
The challenge for an interpreter of Beethoven's works is to find the way back to the improvisational gesture of creation, as if the music is being newly discovered.
Performer Biography
Martin Stadtfeld, the pianist on this album, is also featured as a speaker, along with Martin Falk and Filippa Wollheim.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at SWR Studio Kaiserslautern and SWR Funkhaus Mainz between January 8th and 10th, 2020, and is a co-production with Südwestrundfunk/SWR2.
You might also enjoy...
Ludwig van Beethoven | Harrison Birtwistle: A Bag of Bagatelles
