CULTURE CLUB : WHAT DO YOU HEAR WHEN YOU LISTEN TO BEETHOVEN?

Culture Club April 05_SOH_credit Prudence Upton 001
Photography by Prudence Upton

The last of the current series of Culture Club talks this was once again held in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House.

How do we listen to Beethoven in the 21st century? Every age rediscovers Beethoven for themselves and brings their own context to his music.

Pianist and writer Anna Goldsworthy and Benjamin Schwartz, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Director of Artistic Planning joined panel chair Yarmila Alfonzetti to discuss their various experiences of one of the world’s greatest composers.

Anna Goldsworthy is one of Australia’s most versatile artists. Celebrated as a pianist, she is also acclaimed as an essayist, memoirist, librettist, playwright, and festival director. As a pianist, Anna performs extensively throughout Australia and internationally. Goldsworthy was a founding member of the Seraphim Trio, which celebrated its twenty-first birthday last year.

Benjamin Schwartz has held the position of Director of Artistic Planning at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra since 2014. Schwartz oversees all aspects of the Orchestra’s artistic planning from developing seasons to commissioning new works to ensure the SSO remains at the forefront of orchestral music in Australia and around the world.

Prior to joining the SSO, Schwartz was Assistant Artistic Administrator of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for eight years. He is also a former Artistic Administrator of the Saito-Kinen Festival Matsumoto in Japan and performed actively for many years as cellist of the Callithumpian Consort.

Yarmila Alfonzetti chair of the panel discussion today , is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Youth Orchestras, having previously worked as Head of External Relations for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Head of Classical Music at the Sydney Opera House.

Alfonzetti also programs the annual Utzon Music Series, and is the Executive Producer of the Four Winds Festival.

The panel took a close look at Beethoven’s artistic life and discussed how the interpretation of his music has changed over the years.

Alfonzetti placed Beethoven in context,  his life and those of his contemporaries such as Mozart and Haydn.We were reminded that he suffered greatly and had a ‘shopping list’ of illnesses . Alfonzetti talked about his shift from performer to composer and how he was regarded as a master music maker by his contemporaries.

Another issue raised was that of the publication of his works at the time and how Beethoven wrote for the (then) new fortepiano.

The panel discussed and agreed that his works are extremely powerful , at times quite fiendishly difficult to play, and there has developed an accepted and traditional way of playing Beethoven.

This led to the question of playing music as the composer imagined it and has this changed in the age of ipods ? Another issue that came up was the difference in score markings from the Romantic period to the present day.

To conclude there was a short, passionately intense piano performance by Anna Goldsworthy, played  with much flair and panache.

The event concluded with prolonged thunderous applause.

Running time about an hour 15 (approx) no interval.

The last in the current series of the Culture Club talks , What Do You Hear When You Listen To Beethoven? took place at the Sydney Opera House 5 April 2016.