Episode 38 - 1812

John continues to tell the story of Beethoven through the eventful year of 1812. The composer meets his literary hero, the German poet Goethe, but he discovers they do not get on. That doesn’t stop Beethoven continuing to compose music based on his poetry, as John demonstrates when he plays a real rarity. He also reveals Beethoven’s reaction when he received a letter from his brother, informing him that he intended to marry the mother of an illegitimate child. What followed was a confrontation, a meeting with a Bishop, and a piece of music that perhaps reflected the great composer’s temperament at the time; a series of funeral marches. It isn’t all low mood, though. John will also play the finale to the joyous symphony he was also composing that year; Symphony No.8. 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.