Episode 19 – Landmarks

In this episode, John celebrates some of the landmark moments in classical music for which Beethoven was responsible. He tells the story of the Piano Sonata written by the great composer that required more keys than the standard piano, as well as more force from the pianist’s fingers. The result? The invention of the Concert Grand Piano. John also plays the opening of Beethoven’s first symphony - which premiered at the first concert that Ludwig himself put on - and reveals why the opening of the piece would have shocked audiences to the core. Plus, John reveals a version of Beethoven’s famous Fur Elise that’s a real curiosity; a revision he made to the piece that never caught on and is rarely heard today. All the Beethoven pieces featured in this podcast are taken from the 90-disc Naxos box set, the Complete Beethoven Edition. You can buy yours by heading to Presto Classical and Europadisc.