Ludwig van Beethoven’s universal, unique reception, the epic significance of his music, and the perception of his iconic, stylized personality allow for a vast number of starting points. This book develops a network of interdisciplinary possibilities and associations, opening up room for fascinating thoughts about Beethoven. Paintings by Caspar David Friedrich, William Turner’s sketchbooks, prints by Francisco de Goya and Jorinde Voigt, and sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Rebecca Horn, and John Baldessari are brought into the conversation and set in relation to the music of Beethoven, as well as to the man himself. These works of art are supplemented by a number of voices from around the world: texts that alternate between science and literature, proximity and distance, expertise and fandom. They demonstrate that this incomparable musician continues to move us in very different ways, even 250 years after his birth. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) is the most-often heard classical composer. Over the years of his gradually increasing deafness, which he first noticed at the age of thirty-one, he created his most famous works, including eight symphonies, his masterpiece Fidelio, and the music for Goethe’s Egmont. PARTICIPATING ARTISTS John Baldessari, Jan Cossiers, Ayşe Erkmen, Caspar David Friedrich, Francisco de Goya, Rebecca Horn, Idris Khan, Anselm Kiefer, Auguste Rodin, Tino Sehgal, J.M.W. Turner, Jorinde Voigt, Guido van der Werve EXHIBITION Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna September 29, 2020–January 24, 2021
Community Notes