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Beethoven Center instruments

Dulcken fortepiano

Broadwood fortepiano

Welcome to
The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies

	Lewis Lockwood talks about his new book Beethoven’s Lives with Erica Buurman March 11 @ 12 noon PT Zoom Join this virtual Zoom event that explores Beethoven’s Lives by Lewis Lockwood, himself a much-lauded Beethoven biographer, tells the story of Beethoven biography, from the earliest attempts made directly after the composer's death to the present day. This is a free event and all are welcome. Registration is required.
	Mark Evan Bonds talks about his new book Beethoven: Variations on a Life with Erica Buurman April 8 @ 2:00 pm PT Zoom Despite the ups and downs of his personal life and professional career-even in the face of deafness-Beethoven remained remarkably consistent in his most basic convictions about his art. This inner consistency, the music historian Mark Evan Bonds argues, provides the key to understanding the composer's life and works. This is a free event and all are welcome. Registration is required.
	William Kinderman talks about his new book Beethoven: A Political Artist in Revolutionary Times with Erica Buurman May 6 @ 12:00 noon PT Zoom In his new book, Beethoven: A Political Artist in Revolutionary Times, William Kinderman presents Beethoven as a civically engaged thinker faced with severe challenges. The composer lived through many tumultuous events—the French Revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Congress of Vienna among them. Make sure to join us to learn more about our favorite composer! This is a free event and all are welcome. Registration is required.
	The Accidental Geographer: A Podcast with Vincent Del Casino, SJSU Provost and Dr. Erica Buurman Provost of San Jose State University Vincent del Casino speaks with Dr. Erica Buurman, Director of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies. Together, they dive into the work of Beethoven and consider the various contributions his symphonies made in the music industry. If you think you know all there is to know about Beethoven, think again! To listen to the podcast, click here.
	Beethoven Beyond Borders: Anniversary Celebrations, Politics, and Global Impact since 1870 new virtual exhibition See the Beethoven's Center's newest and completely online exhibition which explores Beethoven as a cultural figure not only in today’s global landscape, but also at previous anniversary celebrations since the centenary of his birth in 1870. To see a virtual walkthrough of the exhibition, click here to watch the walkthrough through YouTube!
	Beethoven Recital with Julian Jacobson All-Beethoven piano recital with Julian Jacobson (President, Beethoven Piano Society of Europe), recorded in the UK for the American Beethoven Society. Program: Polonaise op. 89 Six Bagatelles op. 126 Sonata op. 53 “Waldstein” Click here to view the video on YouTube!
	Laura Tunbridge talks about her new book, Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces with Erica Buurman If you missed the Beethoven Center's virtual Zoom event welcoming Laura Tunbridge, author of newly released Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces (Yale University Press) there is no need to fret. We have uploaded the event onto our YouTube channel! Click here to see the recording!
	COVID-19 Update Due to Covid-19, most of the Beethoven Center’s services have moved online. Visit our Hours and Location page here to learn more.
	Sparkling Musicale Did you miss the American Beethoven Society’s 14th Annual Sparkling Musicale Virtual event? Well no fear, you can still hear this recital for a $10 fee at the link below: Click here to purchase the on-demand video
	Beethoven Conversations, no. 5. The second movement of Beethoven’s Quartet op. 132 includes four bars in duple meter marked “l’istesso tempo.” The original second violinist, Karl Holz, indicated a metronome mark for this passage that is different from how modern quartets perform it. What do you think?. What did Beethoven Beethoven actually mean? Check out the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lj5HikBoc
	Postponed - Beethoven Ball We’ve taken the sad but inevitable decision to postpone our September Beethoven Ball until 2021.
	Beethoven Conversations, no. 4 Ed Dusinberre shares some of his insights into how the Takács Quartet makes interpretative decisions about Beethoven’s curious performance markings. Check out the link below: https://youtu.be/sLKhXO0cnVk
	Beethoven Conversations, no. 3 Beethoven Conversations, no. 3. Was Beethoven making a joke about bad waltzing in the second movement of his String Quartet op. 132? Check out the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC9CDZ0pDtc
	Beethoven Conversations, no. 2 Beethoven Conversations, no. 2. Hurdy gurdy supplied by the Beethoven Center's own Eric Gjovaag. Check out the link below: https://youtu.be/nGF-Wyk6tWg
	Beethoven Conversations, no. 1 Our chamber music symposium was postponed due to COVID-19, but even a pandemic can’t stop us talking about Beethoven online. Our director Erica Buurman chats to Ed Dusinberre (Takács Quartet) and Nick Mathew (UC Berkeley) about Austrian folk fiddling and the Alla danza tedesca from Beethoven’s Quartet Opus 130. Look out for more in the coming weeks! Check out the link below: https://youtu.be/KAtv5zb1Sek
	New library catalog launched! Find out about changes to the Beethoven Gateway
	See what's new in the Beethoven Center's Image Database We need your help in building our digital collections, to make our unique materials freely available online! Please download our brochure or donate online.
	Join the American Beethoven Society