Episode 29 – 1804

John focuses on just one year in the life of Beethoven; 1804. These twelve months were some of the most turbulent of the great composer’s personal life, but they also saw him write some of his very best music. He was 33 years old, and undoubtedly the best-known composer in the capital city of classical music, Vienna, but he was under contract to write an opera, and he was struggling. John explains why it would take Beethoven another decade to complete Fidelio. He also tells how, in 1804, Beethoven fell in love with his best friend’s wife, before also becoming infatuated with one of his music pupils. Then, John discovers some of the fine music Beethoven composed in 1804, including the pieces he wrote to come to terms with his continuing deafness, the Piano Concerto in which Ludwig deliberately includes a “wrong” note, and John explains why Beethoven tore up the dedication to one of this most ground-breaking works; his Symphony No.3 - the Eroica. 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.