Description:

Louis (Ludwig) van Beethoven (1770-1827) was product of a violently dysfunctional upbringing. In the fall of 1802, at just the time his name and fame were beginning to spread across Europe, he suffered a suicidal depression. Through equal parts self-delusion and sheer will, Beethoven managed to reinvent himself personally and artistically as a hero battling fate itself. Thus armed, he emerged from his funk in early 1803, and proceeded to create a body of work unlike anything anyone had ever before imagined. Central to Beethoven’s new compositional vision was his conviction that his music be a vehicle for profound self-expression: his therapist’s couch. This program will explore Beethoven’s life and times and will then focus on his Symphony No. 5 as an example of how a piece of instrumental music can become—literally—a highly personalized confessional.

Educational Objectives:

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*