Opus 1

Donald Macleod looks at how Beethoven the celebrated pianist strove to become known as Beethoven the revered composer, carefully planning his strategy to win over Vienna’s wealthy music lovers.

This week, Donald Macleod’s focus is on Beethoven’s first months and years in Vienna, following his move there from his home town of Bonn. The young composer was still in his early twenties, low on cash, and had only a handful of works to his name. He was going to have to work hard to find success in the imperial capital, where audiences had grown up on the music of Mozart and Haydn.

All through 2020, Donald Macleod takes an unprecedented deep dive into the compelling story and extraordinary music of Ludwig van Beethoven. In this uniquely ambitious series, told across 125 episodes of Composer of the Week, Donald puts us inside Beethoven’s world and explores his hopes, struggles and perseverance in all the colourful detail this amazing narrative deserves. Alongside this in-depth biography, Donald will also be meeting and talking to Beethoven enthusiasts and experts from across the world to discover how his music continues to speak to us in the 21st century. Through story and sound, the series builds into a vivid new portrait of this composer, born 250 years ago this year, who made art that changed how people saw themselves and understood the world.

12 Minuets, WoO 7, No 1
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier, conductor

Piano Concerto No 1 in C major, Op 15 (1st movement)
Francesco Piemontesi, piano
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Kazuki Yamada, conductor

Piano Trio Op 1 No 3 (1st and 2nd movements)
Atos Trio

12 Minuets WoO 7, Nos. 7 & 11
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier, conductor

Piano Concerto No 1 in C major, Op 15 (3rd movement)
Francesco Piemontesi, piano
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Kazuki Yamada, conductor

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Wales