9 episodes
The Beethoven 9 Colorado Public Radio
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- Music
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4.7 • 49 Ratings
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The Beethoven 9 offers an in-depth exploration of Ludwig van Beethoven's nine symphonies, featuring host Monika Vischer and Beethoven biographer Jan Swafford.
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Symphony No. 9: A Joyous Epic
Its power and sheer ambition influenced and intimidated scores of composers who followed Beethoven.
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Symphony No. 8: A Musical Look Back
A fun, almost comical, moment before Beethoven stepped away from the symphony for a decade and wrote his ultimate triumph.
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Symphony No. 7: Rhythm And Restlessness
Ludwig van Beethoven's Seventh Symphony pulses with rhythmic invention. The reliance on the beat gives the piece an immediacy that rivals the music in any of Beethoven's symphonies.
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Symphony No. 6: A Walk In The Country
Ludwig van Beethoven followed his percussive, brooding Fifth Symphony with an ode to nature. Yet Symphony No. 6 is more than just a summer stroll.
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Symphony No. 5: Four Indelible Notes
It's one of the most famous musical passages ever written. Ludwig van Beethoven starts his Fifth Symphony with four percussive notes, then spends the next four movements inventing new ways to make them sing.
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Symphony No. 4: Unfairly Overlooked
Symphony No. 4 is more direct than the groundbreaking "Eroica" but still has many moments of brilliance. It's a crowd-pleaser.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable and Informative
This was a wonderful podcast series which I binged over two days. The host, Monika Vischer, was charming and kept things moving and on point (although how she managed to get through the entire thing without ever actually pronouncing the "t" in "Beethoven" was something of an annoying marvel). The expert guest, Jan Swafford, had an encyclopedic knowledge of both the man and the music; he kept things interesting and was able to present complicated musical concepts in plain English. For instance, he led us through some "comic" elements of the 8th Symphony, which involved explaining technical stuff like key changes in a way that many would find hard to explain, and in the end... I laughed! Highly recommended for neopyhytes and Beethhoven afficianados alike.
Sensational
CPR Classical is a true gem for the rich content and snippets of stories behind the masterful music and the composers who live on for all of us. This Beethoven 9 at 9 is a shining example and nothing short of amazing. I am so glad they made a podcast as I didn't catch every episode live and is worth listening to again and again.