Elisabeth Brauß
To mark Beethoven's 250th anniversary, Max Richter, in collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon, has created the work "Beethoven - Opus 2020." The Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, which evolved from the Bonn Court Orchestra where Beethoven played viola, commissioned the composition. The work will be available on streaming services on December 17, the composer's birthday. The live premiere will take place the day before at the Telekom Forum Bonn and will be streamed on Deutsche Grammophon's Facebook page. The piano piece "Andante Loops," a derivative of Opus 2020, premiered on December 11 in Apple Music's "Beethoven Room." A digital EP featuring both works will be released on December 18. The recordings were made in November with pianist Elisabeth Brauß and the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, conducted by Dirk Kaftan. "Beethoven - Opus 2020" represents a creative dialogue with Beethoven's music and references Karlheinz Stockhausen's homage Opus 1970, which was composed for Beethoven's 200th birthday. Richter explains: "With Opus 2020, I have brought elements of Beethoven's and Stockhausen's practices into the present in a new form. This intertextuality is typical of my work, which operates on various musical levels."
Beethoven - Opus 2020 represents a creative dialogue with Beethoven's music and references Karlheinz Stockhausen's homage Opus 1970, which was created for Beethoven's 200th birthday. Richter explains: "With Opus 2020, I have brought elements of Beethoven's and Stockhausen's practices into the present in a new form. This intertextuality is typical of my work, which moves on various musical levels."