Ludwig van Beethoven

Good morning.

Today we’re listening to Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer and pianist. Born in 1770, Beethoven came from a long line of musicians. He began studying piano at age 5, suffering grueling instruction from local teachers including an insomniac who would drag him from bed to the piano.

¹

At the turn of the 19th century, Beethoven’s first and second symphonies earned him the reputation as the successor to Mozart and Haydn. We’re playing his third piano concerto from 1800, performed in 1960 by Glenn Gould and conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

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Then we’re playing Beethoven’s eighth piano sonata from 1799 – aka the Pathétique – as performed by Yundi in 2012, an album that also includes the Moonlight and Appassionata.

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor - Glenn Gould, Leonard Bernstein, and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra (40m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal

Beethoven: Pathétique, Moonlight, Appassionata - Yundi (60m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal

Have a really nice Wednesday.

1. via Wikipedia

2. h/t Haruki Murakami’s book Absolutely on Music