Commencing: 5 April, 2016. (10 weeks: 5/4, 12/4, 19/4, 26/4, 10/5, 17/5, 24/5, 31/5, 7/6, 14/6)

Cost: £60

COURSE OUTLINE 

Arguably the greatest composer that ever lived, Beethoven revolutionized the symphony, transformed the string quartet and pushed performers to the limits of their ability in his piano music. During this ten-week survey of his life and works  there will be an opportunity to investigate seminal works from his three creative periods, to consider how his deafness affected his music, and to assess his legacy. There will also be a lecture on the greatly undervalued music of Beethoven’s pupil, Ferdinand Ries.

In addition to the ten lectures at Luther King House, there will be three optional trips out to concerts to hear specific pieces of music covered in this course. Please note that these are not included in the course cost.

Who’s the course for? All classical music lovers – no technical knowledge required.

LECTURE 1 :  Tuesday, 5th April, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

An introduction to Beethoven’s life and works (his three ‘creative periods’) and a film from the BBC ‘Great Composers’ series

LECTURE 2:   Tuesday, 12th April, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

String Quartets from Beethoven’s early, middle and late periods (Op. 18 No. 2, Op. 59 No. 1 and Op. 131)

CONCERT:  Thursday, 14th April,  1.10 p.m. Bridgewater Hall 

Manchester Midday Concerts Series: Beethoven’s Op. 131 String Quartet  performed by the Tippett String Quartet (Cost £9.50/£7.50)

LECTURE 3:  Tuesday, 19th April, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House, 

Beethoven’s Concertos (including The Emperor)

FILM: Friday 22nd April, 7.30 p.m. RNCM

Concerto: A Beethoven Journey (Cost £7/£6.30)

In this 2015 documentary, director Phil Grabsky follows Leif Ove Andsnes on his recently-completed Beethoven Journey. This four-year project with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra allowed pianist Leif Ove to immerse himself in the music of Beethoven and culminated in three critically-acclaimed concerts at the 2015 BBC Proms.

The screening will be introduced by Phil Grabsky and there will be a post-screening Q&A.

LECTURE 4: Tuesday,  26th April, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Symphonies 1, 2, 3 (Eroica), 4 and 5

LECTURE 5: Tuesday, 10 May,  10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Symphonies 6 (Pastoral), 7, 8 and  9 (Choral)

LECTURE 6: Tuesday, 17th May, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Beethoven’s Choral Music (including the Missa Solemnis)

LECTURE 7: Tuesday, 24th May, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

The music of Beethoven’s pupil, Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838)

LECTURE 8: Tuesday, 31st May, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Beethoven’s opera ‘Fidelio’

LECTURE 9: Tuesday 7th June, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Chamber music with piano/ Song cycle: An die ferne Geliebte (To the distant beloved)

LECTURE 10: Tuesday 14 June, 10.30 a.m., Luther King House

Piano sonatas (including the ‘Pathetique’, ‘Waldstein’ and ‘Hammerklavier’ sonatas)

CONCERT: Wednesday 15th June, 7.30p.m.,  Bridgewater Hall 

International Concert Series : Murray Perahia (Cost £17-34)

***** If you enjoy this course, you might like to consider ‘The Life and Works of Franz Schubert’ starting on Tuesday 27th September, 2016****