Beethoven Unleashed: The 1808 Concert

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... I don't think our teamsaint has done anything to deserve such harsh words!

You had me going for a moment there.

[Quarky]

Probably I know about 1% of what many others on this board know about Beethoven. However it was a good concert (deliberately avoided TS) and at the end of it I felt I knew a little more about what Beethoven was all about - raising my knowledge level to 1.5%. I can see more clearly why many of his contemporaries found him "difficult" - probably I would have had the same reaction if I had attended the 1808 concert!

P.S. It goes to show to really appreciate Beethoven, it's not necessary to listen to the absolute perfect recordings....

[Bryn]

Resurrecting this thread to draw attention to the "Boxed Set" of Beethoven Unleashed, as podcasts or in 320kbps 'HD Sound' via, um, Sounds.

[AuntDaisy]

Thanks Bryn.
Did they ever upload "Theme 13 – Highlights (available from 18 December)"?

[Bryn]

Thanks Bryn.
Did they ever upload "Theme 13 – Highlights (available from 18 December)"?

It does not say which 18 December.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Thanks Bryn.
Did they ever upload "Theme 13 – Highlights (available from 18 December)"?

I'm wondering how long that "boxed set" page has been there? (Thanks Bryn for pointing it out - I missed chunks of it, and wished I'd been more organised to listen at the time.
If its a recent arrival (it does say "Now you can listen to all of the podcast versions of the programmes, collected here.....") then maybe its 18 Dec 2021 in question?

There is a contact on the CoW page link to ask the question:
composeroftheweek@bbc.co.uk

Although in principle I tend to prefer* a complaint that has to be logged and responded to substantively**:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints

*Maybe in this case, see if there is a reply - perhaps Donald picks up the emails?
(** "...responded to substantively...." - well as substantively as the BBC concedes to any complaint..... one day I may (need to....) look up how to pursue matters further after the usual fob-off).

[Bryn]

I'm wondering how long that "boxed set" page has been there? (Thanks Bryn for pointing it out - I missed chunks of it, and wished I'd been more organised to listen at the time.
If its a recent arrival (it does say "Now you can listen to all of the podcast versions of the programmes, collected here.....") . . .

Same here. That's why I was overjoyed to see the link. However, I think the 18 December referred to was the Friday of last year when that series of highlight programmes finished.

[AuntDaisy]

The earliest Wayback Machine snapshot of that podcast page is from 16th December 2020 (Although I'm not sure how much of the displayed version is using parts from the live BBC site).

Not sure when the 320kbps 'HD Sound' copies appeared, but lower res. "podcast" versions were around 2/1/2021.

Sadly, the Podcasts only have short musical clips that fade out (e.g. furry fleas was originally ~3:20 but is ~40s in the podcast.) Still, beggars can't be choosers and it's good of Auntie to share these.

I think the unlisted "Theme 13 – Highlights (available from 18 December)" must be a condensation of the final, 25th week starting with ep 1 of "Beethoven Unleashed: In Perspective".
Probably this podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p091jm6m


P.S. The PIDs of the Podcast URLs sort nicely in to this interlacing sequence:

p080n4h5	Theme 1 Why Beethoven? With Simon Schama and Marin Alsop
p081xknj	Biography 1 Beethoven's childhood - clues that point to the great man he would become
p083brxx	Theme 2 With guests Raphael Wallfisch and Sara Bitlloch
p084zv6s	Biography 2 Following Beethoven as he sets himself up in his new home of Vienna.
p0866gh2	Theme 3 At the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn with Dr Erica Buurman
p087w9w1	Biography 3 Beethoven seeks out wealthy Viennese patrons for his music.
p0892zck	Theme 4 Keyboard, with Jonathan Biss
p08b2dgk	Biography 4 As he reaches his 30th birthday, we see Beethoven finally emerging as a mature composer.
p08bzvrv	Theme 5 Beethoven and the voice, with Simone Young and Iain Burnside
p08dtl3q	Biography 5 Beethoven's story through the momentous years of 1802 and 1803.
p08g570d	Theme 6 The late quartets, with Ed Dusinberre and Laura Tunbridge
p08hb87x	Biography 6 The triumphs, friends and foes of Beethoven's "heroic" phase.
p08jrvp1	Theme 7 Private Papers with biographer Jan Swafford and Erica Buurman
p08kyhl7	Biography 7 Beethoven's life through the traumatic years 1807 to 1809.
p08mcps4	Theme 8 In His Own Words, with actor Adrian Lester as the voice of Beethoven
p08ph65n	Biography 8 Financial worries and the emotional crisis of "Immortal Beloved".
p08psrmk	Theme 9 How to Play Beethoven, with musicians Chi-Chi Nwanoku, Ronald Brautigam, Rachel Nicholls, Adrian Bending, and Sarah Willis
p08r28by	Biography 9 Napoleon is overthrown. Beethoven's music at last begins to receive public recognition.
p08sdkb1	Theme 10 Spirit of the Age with Professor Nicholas Matthews, Ruth Padel, Julian Allwood, Professor Herwig Czech, Dr Aakanksha Virkar Yates
p08tqxlz	Biography 10 Distracting court battles over custody of Beethoven's nephew Karl.
p08w1tt4	Theme 11 Angela Hewitt on the late sonatas
p08xhjck	Biography 11 1822 to 1824 - the period of Beethoven's greatest late masterpieces.
p08yzhqg	Theme 12 Sir John Eliot Gardiner on the symphonies
p090drnp	Biography 12 Failing health, a traumatic family crisis and a series of extraordinary late string quartets.
p091jm6m	Beethoven Unleashed: In Perspective / Theme 13 Highlights (available from 18 December)

[AuntDaisy]

*Maybe in this case, see if there is a reply - perhaps Donald picks up the emails?

Or, Donald Macleod is active on Twitter and responds to COTW comments.

https://twitter.com/DonaldMacleod01