Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to discuss how Beethoven's work had the effect of turning chamber music professional.

This week cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to talk about Beethoven鈥檚 early chamber music from 1795 to 1811, including beloved works such as the 鈥楻azumovsky鈥 quartets, the 鈥楰reutzer鈥 violin sonata, and the 鈥楪host鈥 and 鈥楢rchduke鈥 piano trios.

Today they look at how Beethoven鈥檚 music, as it developed and became more complex, had the effect of turning chamber music professional: what he was writing was too challenging for amateur players, and often too serious for the salon.

We hear great music from the Razumovsky String Quartets, the Kreutzer Violin Sonata, the Septet and the Kakadu Variations.

The 鈥楻azumovskys鈥 were composed between April and November of 1806, at the end of what was an astonishingly productive three years of Beethoven鈥檚 life, when he produced a series of radically different masterpieces.

Piano Trio Op 121a, 鈥淜akadu Variations鈥
Florestan Trio

String Quartet in F major No 7, Op 59 (鈥淩azumovsky鈥) (4th movement)
Tak谩cs Quartet

Violin Sonata in A major No. 9 Op 47 ("Kreutzer") (1st movement)
Itzhak Perlman, violin
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano

Septet in E flat major for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and double bass Op 20 (2nd movement)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble

Produced by Iain Chambers for 麻豆约拍 Wales

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Variations on 'Ich bin der schneider Kakadu' for piano trio, Op 121a

    Ensemble: The Florestan Trio.
    • HYPERION : cda-67369.
    • HYPERION.
    • 6.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    String Quartet in F major, Op 59 No 1 (Rasumovsky) (4th movement)

    Ensemble: Tak谩cs Quartet.
    • Decca 470 847-2.
    • Decca.
    • 4.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Sonata in A major, Op 47 (Kreutzer) (1st movement)

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman. Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy.
    • DECCA 421 453-2.
    • DECCA.
    • 1.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Septet in E flat major, Op 20 (2nd movement)

    Ensemble: Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble.
    • CHANDOS : CHAN-9718.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 6.

Broadcast

  • Wed 12 Feb 2020 12:00

Vaughan Williams Today

Vaughan Williams Today

Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥 the box set

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥 the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time 鈥 why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.