Damian Thompson Damian Thompson

Music and emotion

Damian Thompson says we can learn a lot about Beethoven if we look beyond the symphonies

issue 13 December 2008

Damian Thompson says we can learn a lot about Beethoven if we look beyond the symphonies

Beethoven Unwrapped is the title of the year-long musical celebration marking the opening of Kings Place, the new ‘creative centre’ at King’s Cross. But does Beethoven, of all composers, need unwrapping? The answer is yes, more than ever, if the process allows us to examine his music without constantly genuflecting in front of the symphonies.

The Kings Place festival includes only one live Beethoven symphony: the First, played by the Avison Ensemble next...

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