Composer: Beethoven, Ludwig van

In Search of Beethoven

Stevenson, Juliet

Dawson, David

Television Director: Grabsky, Phil

Narrator: Dawson, David

Narrator: Stevenson, Juliet

Year of Production: 2010

Playing Time: 03:59:34

Catalogue Number: SEV156

UPC: 5060116573503

In Search of Beethoven has brought together the world's leading performers and experts on Beethoven to reveal new insights into this legendary composer. The line-up of performers and interviewees includes Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Roger Norrington, Riccardo Chailly, Claudio Abbado, Fabio Luisi, Frans Brüggen, Ronald Brautigam, Hélène Grimaud, Vadim Repin, Janine Jansen, Paul Lewis, Lars Vogt, and Emanuel Ax among others. The film is narrated by Juliet Stevenson and young RSC actor David Dawson.

As with the Mozart film, In Search of Beethoven takes a comprehensive look at the composer's life through his musical output. Having created a blueprint with In Search of Mozart, Phil Grabsky documents each piece of music chronologically, marrying it to Beethoven's biography and letters.

Phil Grabsky travelled across Europe and North America to interview historians and musicians between rehearsals and performances. He managed to film a remarkable 55 performances for the film - and has once again captured the raw energy of these world-class artists. It includes exclusive footage of Claudio Abbado's critically-acclaimed performance of Beethoven's opera Fidelio. There are further performances from Frans Brüggen's Orchestra of the 18th Century, the Salzburg Camerata with Sir Roger Norrington, Leipzig Gewandhaus with Riccardo Chailly, Vienna Symphony with Fabio Luisi, violinists Vadim Repin and Janine Jansen, cellist Alban Gerhardt, and pianists Leif Ove Andsnes, Ronald Brautigam, Jonathan Biss, Emanuel Ax, and Lars Vogt; each reveal their unique approach and share their passions. The Endellion String Quartet gave exclusive access to film a number of complete Beethoven quartets.

Above all, In Search of Beethoven addresses the romantic myth that Beethoven was a heroic, tormented figure struck down by deafness, who battled to overcome his tragic fate and searched in vain for his "immortal beloved." It delves beyond the image of the tortured, cantankerous, unhinged personality to reveal someone quite different and far more interesting.