Beethoven

Fiery, influential, and bursting with noble ideals, Ludwig van Beethoven is a Classical legend and a credit to all humanity, no less — in the words of Goethe, "a more self-contained, energetic, sincere artist I never saw . . . he is an utterly untamed personality." And that wild side helped guarantee the composer a place in history. Early-period Beethoven took many of its cues from the work of Haydn and Mozart, and includes the first 20 piano sonatas: the most famous and best-loved among these are the "Moonlight" and "Pathétique" pieces. We get underway, though, with the stirring, rousing, unmistakable four-note signature — dun-dun-dun-daaaa — from the opening of Symphony No.5.

Beethoven celebrates, and then spurns, Napoleon Bonaparte in Next Steps.

Beethoven was the key transitional link between the High Classical and the Romantic music eras. His Middle Period contains the Third Symphony — aka the Eroica — initially dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, but the name-check was withdrawn by the composer when it became clear that the "little emperor" favoured world domination over liberty, equality, and fraternity. It's said that he scratched Napoleon's name from the score so violently that he ripped a gash in the paper. Rage would also follow the completion of his Mass in C Major, written for Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, who wasn't impressed — the opening movement gets us underway here.

His body was ailing, but his genius endured to produce the Late Period works you'll find in Deep Cuts.

Although his infamous deafness kicked in during the Middle Period, Beethoven would weather the crisis to produce his most intense and intellectual work — aka his Late Period, which lasted for ten years, until his retreat from composing in 1826. Here you'll find a selection from the Diabelli Variations — aka 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, arguably the greatest set of variations ever written, held in the highest regard, alongside Bach's Goldberg Variations — played by Alfred Brendel. We've also added the last String Quartets, including No. 12, which was way ahead of its time, rendered here by New York's outstanding Emerson String Quartet.

Ludwig van Beethoven was, without question, one of the greatest men ever to walk the planet. Although he suffered multiple personal troubles (deafness, depression, obsessive washing, money worries, unrequited love), he still managed to triumph by penning some of our most incredible music, and this triumph over adversity found its due reflection in his work. In fact some say his infamous hearing troubles actually supplemented his genius, because it left him unswayed by the influence of other composers, as if he was trapped in a bubble of originality. If you're new to Beethoven, try the reflective "Adagio un Poco Mosso" section of Piano Concerto No. 5, after which we defy you not to be hooked on his genius for life.