Episode 9: Beethoven's Health

In the penultimate episode, Andy Bush turns to Beethoven’s ill health and explores how it affected his music. How he was able to continue composing as he became increasingly deaf? Andy gains insight from Maya Iwabuchi, leader of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, clarinettist Julian Bliss, cellist Matthew Barley, pianist Stephen Hough, conductor Karin Hendrickson and Scala Radio presenter and composer Jack Pepper. The podcast features an extract of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No.3, played by Leonard Elschenbroich and Alexei Grynyuk, which is available on Onyx Records, and his second symphony, played by the Britten Sinfonia, which is released on Signum Classics, along with clips of the Piano Concertos 3 & 4, performed by Elizabeth Sombart and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Piano Concerto No.5, played by Alessio Bax and the Southbank Sinfonia - all are available at https://signumrecords.com. Other extracts were provided by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and you can find LPO Label releases on all major streaming platforms and at lpo.org.uk/recordings.

Om Podcasten

Andy Bush loves rock and indie music. He’s been ‘classical curious’ for a while and is fascinated by Ludwig van Beethoven, but doesn’t know where to start. Until now. Andy takes the plunge into Ludwig’s life and music in the great composer’s 250th year, with a bit of help from world-class musicians including violinist Nicola Benedetti, conductors Sir Mark Elder, Jonathon Heyward, Carlo Rizzi and Karin Hendrickson, cellist Matthew Barley, pianist Stephen Hough and clarinettist Julian Bliss. Discover more about Beethoven in these bitesize podcasts, based on a 4-part series broadcast on Scala Radio in Spring 2020, produced by Jenny Nelson for Bauer Media.