Santa Cruz Baroque Honors Beethoven

Santa Cruz Baroque Honors Beethoven

November 19, 7:30pm

The year 2020 marked the 250th birthday of Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770— 1827). We honor the span of his creative life with a concert of his music on two different fortepianos representing the middle and late periods of his musical style. UC Berkeley Music Professor Nicholas Mathew will perform Beethoven pieces from these periods, with a thoughtful and historically informed performance practice.

The earlier piano is a replica of an 1800 model by the Schanz brothers. The instrument is part of UCSC’s collection, and is lightweight, with a range of 5 1/3 octaves. UC Berkeley contributes the second instrument, a reconstruction of Conrad Graf’s 1820 model – a somewhat heavier and larger piano, with a range of 6 1/2 octaves.

Beethoven’s style evolved significantly over the course of his life, in a way that influenced the course of musical culture. Equally influential was the piano itself, whose rapid transformations during the early 19th century not only reflected composers’ changing musical values but also made new musical thoughts possible. To trace the intertwined development of Beethoven’s music and that of the piano is our inspiration for this concert.

If you’re curious to know more about Beethoven and the piano, please accept our invitation to Dr. Mathew’s lecture, Thursday Nov. 16^th at 12:30 pm, in room 131 of the UCSC Music Center.

This concert is a joint presentation by Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Distinguished Artists Concert Series, and UCSC Music Department.

Lecture:
Wednesday Nov. 16^th 12:30 – 2pm, UCSC Music Center Room 131