Beethoven’s overture problem – 11/05/21

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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1 thought on “Beethoven’s overture problem – 11/05/21

  1. 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.

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