The Atlantic

A Secret Code May Have Been Hiding in Classical Music for 200 Years

In the spring of 1825, Ludwig van Beethoven was struck by a gut ailment so severe that he thought he might die. That summer, after he recovered, he returned to the string quartet he’d been writing ...
The Conversation

Why Beethoven wasn’t the original punk rocker of classical music

Last summer, the meme “Beethoven was Black” was trending online, a trope that drew the iconic composer into a 21st century discussion about race and social justice. But there is another curious ...
The Conversation

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at 200: Revolutionary work of art has spawned two centuries of joy, goodwill and propaganda

In early 1824, 30 members of Vienna’s music community sent a letter to Ludwig van Beethoven petitioning the great composer to reconsider his plans to premiere his latest work in Berlin and instead ...
The New York Times

Beethoven’s ‘Egmont,’ by Way of Cate Blanchett and Jeremy O. Harris

Gustavo Dudamel, Blanchett and Harris sit down to discuss their new version of Beethoven’s classic, premiering in Los Angeles this week. By Adam Nagourney Reporting from Los Angeles Gustavo Dudamel ...