Beethoven in Berlin

This montage from our Podcast Vault revisits a post from January 27, 2017. It can be found in our archives at https://archive.org/details/pcast238

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Today’s podcast, dug out of the Podcast Vault, is nearly three years old, dating January 2017. It was assembled, in part, to feed into our Trifecta chapter of Project 366, which is currently being explored in our daily shares these days. The montage takes new significance on this Beethoven year (though we are technically a year away from Beethoven’s actual 250^th birthday, but who attention to those details!)

The original theme of the montage had works by Beethoven performed by Berlin-based orchestras. (The trifecta angle is our programming of the Triple Concerto and Third symphony).

Our bonus feature this week is a performance by a third Berlin-based orchestra. With a tradition reaching back to 1570, the Staatskapelle Berlin is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Initially it performed exclusively for the Court. However, when Frederick the Great founded the Royal Court Opera in 1742 – today’s State Opera – and merged the Opera and Orchestra, the sphere of activity of the Staatskapelle was broadened and the success story began.

The Staatskapelle Berlin is an essential part of the State Opera: it undertakes the majority of the opera and ballet performances. In a series of concerts each season the Orchestra performs major symphonic works of the Classic, Romantic and Modern periods, commissioned works, and a broad variety of chamber music.

Over time famous conductors have contributed to the orchestra’s characteristic sound and musical interpretation. Daniel Barenboim was appointed general music director of the Staatskapelle in 1992.

The recording I chose for today’s bonus clip is a vintage DG recording of the Staatskapelle under Otto Klemperer

I think you will (still) love this music too.