Theater in der Josefstadt –
now the oldest theatre in Vienna.
Founded in 1788, Beethoven’s overture Die Weihe des Hauses [The Consecration of the House] was written to celebrate its 1822 refurbishment.
To listen simply press on the audio player below
(you can also download the file –
click on the three dots on the right):
Beethoven‘s Coriolan – an overture that’s lost its play:
Leonora No. 3: Beethoven tries for the third time to write a satisfactory overture for his singspiel, Fidelio:
Looking both forwards and backwards, Beethoven‘s ‘Handelian’ overture, The Consecration of the House:
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Thanks, Chris – very interesting on the context of these pieces. I listened to your talk shortly before Radio 3 broadcast Shakespeare’s Coriolanus – a happy coincidence which made both the music and the play all the more enjoyable.