Is there anyone more loved and cherished in Western classical music than Beethoven? You know the answer: Not likely.
2020 marks the 250th birthday of this beloved composer, and Music Celebrations is at the forefront of concert and tour productions for this tremendous anniversary.
Want to be in the know? Be like the cool kids and visit the Beethoven 2020 website to be notified about projects for the maestro’s big birthday bash! In the meantime, enjoy some of our favorite Beethoven performances on YouTube. Much has been made about maestro Herbert von Karajan’s interpretations of Beethoven’s symphonies (notably his very loose interpretations of tempos), but one cannot argue with the gorgeous sounds the conductor drew from his orchestras. Beethoven would have been proud.
Outside of his symphonies 5 and 9, Beethoven’s “Pathetique” Piano Sonata may arguably be his most recognized work. Listen to this masterful rendition by Daniel Barenboim.
Beethoven’s late string quartets, all composed after the master had completely lost his hearing, are a world unto themselves. Hints of Wagner, decades before Wagner was known, can be heard in the dissonance of the music, and at times the music approaches atonality – something that was unheard of in the 1820’s. Sheer beauty.
This historic Christmas concert in 1989 to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. Conducted be an ailing Leonard Bernstein, the famous “Ode to Joy” chorus in the finale was changed to “Ode to Freedom” to mark this special occasion.