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Beethoven reCYCLE
During 2013, Michael Houstoun gives a series of concerts for Chamber Music New Zealand in which he plays the complete cycle of 32 Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven.
To coincide with the three waves of concerts, there’ll be three Appointment programmes on Radio New Zealand Concert in which Michael Houstoun, seated at his piano, talks to Tim Dodd. He outlines his view of Beethoven’s sonatas, his own personal responses to them and the challenges of performing them. They’ll also talk about some selected sonatas in detail.
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Beethoven ReCYCLE (Part 2)
Michael Houstoun and Tim Dodd continue their conversation about the Beethoven piano sonatas and Houstoun's approach to performing them. They talk in detail about the sonatas in his fourth concert of… Read more Audio
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Beethoven ReCYCLE (Part 1)
Michael Houstoun first performed the cycle of 32 Piano Sonatas by Beethoven 20 years ago. Why do it again? What's changed? Michael Houstoun talks to Tim Dodd about the project and they look at four… Read more Audio
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Beethoven ReCYCLE (Part 3)
9 Oct 2013Michael Houstoun and Tim Dodd continue their conversation about the Beethoven piano sonatas and Houstoun's approach to performing them. In this final programme, they talk about the 'Moonlight' Sonata… Read more Audio
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Extended interview: The Diabelli Variations
Michael Houstoun talks about Beethoven's Diabelli Variations which he performed in 2012 as preparation for the Beethoven reCYCLE project. Audio
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Extended interview: Memory
Michael Houstoun talks about the challenge of playing all the Beethoven sonatas from memory. Audio
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Extended interview: Selected movements
Tim Dodd and Michael Houstoun look at a few selected movements from sonatas in Houstoun's last wave of concerts: Op 2 No 1, Op 2 No 2 and Op 31 No 3. Audio
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Extended interview: The Limited Piano
Michael Houstoun outlines the qualities he desires in a piano for performing Beethoven and he and Tim Dodd tackle the issue of whether the humble piano was sufficient to express Beethoven’s vision… Read more Audio
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Extended interview: Rhythm and Rubato
Tim Dodd and Michael Houstoun talk about a number of topics related to rhythm, energy and rubato in the Beethoven sonatas. Audio
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Extended interview: Interpretation
Michael Houstoun discusses what it means to "interpret" a piece of music. Audio
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Extended interview: Overexposure
Michael Houstoun and Tim Dodd talk about whether a piece such as the Appassionata Sonata could become overexposed. Audio
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Extended interview: Sonata form and keys
19 Jun 2013Tim Dodd asks Michael Houstoun how much he is influenced or inspired by the structure of the Beethoven sonata movements and the keys in which they are written. Audio
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Extended Interview: Piano Sonata in F sharp Op 78
Michael Houstoun and Tim Dodd talk a little more about the sonata affectionately dedicated to one of his dearest friends Therese von Brunswick. Audio
Beethoven reCYCLE
Michael Houstoun. Photograph © Dean Zillwood.
During Appointment, 7pm Wednesdays 3 April, 19 June and 9 October 2013