Beethoven - Freedom above all

Revolution and wars, fears and hopes are shaking Europe. The history of music is also in upheaval: “In instrumental music, art is independent and free,” Romanticism asserts, and Ludwig van Beethoven compellingly brings this new artistic ideal to life. Under the title “Freedom Above All,” Jörg Handstein tells the story of Beethoven’s life in a ten-part audio biography. Against the backdrop of the great historical panorama, the deeply personal story of a radical individualist emerges all the more vividly. Music plays a leading role: constantly exploring new paths, powerful and profound, eccentric and poetic, sensual and philosophical… Outstanding actors, above all Udo Wachtveitl as the narrator and Cornelius Obonya as Beethoven, along with some of the most renowned musicians of our time, ensure a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Across 4 CDs, Beethoven’s life and his quest for freedom are vividly recounted and experienced; his music is interwoven with his extraordinarily compelling biography in all its many nuances; his thoughts and feelings, his everyday life and his entire era come alive—strictly according to the original sources, yet always told with vitality and accompanied by inspiring performances.