Beethoven Manacorna

A precocious child, Argerich began nursery aged two years and eight months, where she was the youngest child. A five-year-old boy, who was a friend, teased her that she would not be able to play the piano, and Argerich responded by playing perfectly, by ear, a piece their teacher played them. The teacher immediately called the mother and they "started making a fuss." She started learning the piano at the age of three. At the age of five, she moved to teacher Vincenzo Scaramuzza, who stressed to her the importance of lyricism and feeling. Argerich gave her debut concert in 1949 at the age of eight. The family moved to Europe in 1955, where Argerich studied with Friedrich Gulda in Austria, whom Argerich describes as one of her major influences. She later studied with Stefan Askenase and Maria Curcio. Argerich also seized opportunities for brief periods of coaching with Madeleine Lipatti (widow of Dinu Lipatti), Abbey Simon, and Nikita Magaloff. In 1957, at sixteen, she won both the Geneva International Music Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni International Competition within three weeks of each other. Following this success, Argerich had a personal and artistic crisis; she did not play the piano for three years and considered giving it up to train as a secretary or doctor. She credited Anny Askenase (the wife of Stefan Askenase) with encouraging her to return to the piano.

Originally planned for April 2020 in celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday, this recording of Beethoven's symphonies is the third composer-led collaboration between Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the COE having previously performed and recorded together complete Schumann and Mendelssohn cycles in 2014 and 2017 respectively. This Symphony Cycle was going to use the now complete performance material featuring the musical text of the "New Beethoven Complete Edition".

For Antal Doráti, one of the mid-twentieth century's most gifted conductors, Beethoven was a central repertoire choice. This symphony cycle was recorded in 1975-76 at the beginning of his tenure as principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Long unavailable, these scintillating recordings, combining weight and depth with dance-like clarity, are newly presented as a CD edition.

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will. His compositions, which frequently pushed the boundaries of tradition and startled audiences with their originality and power, are considered by many to be the foundation of 19th century musical principals.

An offspring of the Baroque trio sonata, the piano trio—usually denoting a work for piano, violin, and cello—was still in its infancy when Beethoven penned his first essay in the genre around 1791.

Although Haydn and Mozart contributed much to the piano trio’s evolution, Beethoven breathed new life and dynamism into the medium, expanded its size and scale and enriched its thematic and tonal substance.

Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most prolific and inspiring forces in the history of music. With his brilliant compositions and his unique approach to the piano, he changed the face of western concert music forever. After Beethoven nothing could ever be the same again.

This course by Professor Robert Greenberg is a biographical and musical study of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). It puts the great musician's life in a social, political, and cultural context. First and foremost, it is a biographical study, and includes excerpts from more than a dozen of Beethoven's works. Dr. Greenberg will make the case that Beethoven was one of the most prolific and inspiring forces in the history of music, after whom nothing could ever be the same again.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Orchestra bring their unique energy to one of the summits of the orchestral repertoire - Beethoven’s mighty Symphony No.3, the “Eroica”.