Painter David Brody has created a stunning computer animation to Beethoven string quartet music called “Beethoven Machinery”. The viewer follows the course of an octagonal prism through a wire-frame world of girders, changing direction at musical modulations and textural changes.

These recordings, filmed in March and April 1974 for the BBC, occurred at the tail end of the old performance era and the very start of the new. Vladimir Ashkenazy was a graduate of the same Soviet school of piano playing that produced Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Lazar Berman and a host of others of that era. There are simularities that unite them, including a broad romanticism, a degree of Lisztian showmanship coupled with periods of introspection, powerful technique that occasionally borders on pounding and an intellectual streak that produces some deeply insightful playing. Ashkenazy was younger than the others, more modern in his playing.

Eminent musicians Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (violin) and Harold Bauer (piano) perform the title work.

Vienna, 1813-1819: Beethoven (played by Donatas Banionis) is at the peak of his fame. Orchestras all over the world play his music, but he lives modestly and is dependent upon private patrons. Nagged by his patronizing brothers, spied upon by officials for his republican beliefs and faced by his progressive hearing loss, the composer becomes more and more isolated. Seeman’s poetic film explores the joys, heartbreak and artistic spirit of the great composer as he works on his Ninth Symphony.

"... consists of chickens being butchered and hung out on meat hooks, to the accompaniment of the Fifth Symphony. As the film progresses, the imagery mutates from nearly documentary to nearly surreal. An eyeball-clashing scene recalls "Chien Andalou" yet Devensky holds it on-screen much longer than Dali and Bunuel. Finally a chickens' skull is pounded to bits by a hammer. And each time we think (or wish) the final blow has fallen another follows. The camera peeks all the while and one is uncertain of what is more disquiting - the action on the film, or ridged stare of the camera. –Richard Koszarski, New York American

Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano, David Butt Philip plays the political prisoner Florestan, and Lise Davidsen his wife Leonore (disguised as ‘Fidelio’) who daringly sets out to rescue him. Set in strong counterpoint are the ingredients of domestic intrigue, determined love and the cruelty of an oppressive regime.

Leonard Bernstein filmed Piano Concertos 3, 4, and 5 in 1989, but did not live to film the first two. He died in 1990. So Krystian Zimerman, the pianist, paid tribute to Bernstein and rounded out the set in 1991 by both playing and conducting Concertos 1 and 2.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1 - 9

Beethoven - Egmont, Mozart - Symphony 35 - Claudio Abbado, Lucerne Festival Orchestra (2015)

Claudio Abbado conducts Brahms, Schoenberg & Beethoven - Lucerne Festival Opening Concert (2013)

Leonard Bernstein Beethoven String Quartet No.16 Haydn Missa in Tempore Belli 2012

Leonard Bernstein conducts three symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 3 in E flat major, op 55 ('Eroica'), Symphony no. 4 in B flat major, op 60 and Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op 67, all performed by Wiener Philharmoniker in Vienna in 1977-8.

Charles Hazlewood marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven with an insightful film exploring his work, genius, health and personal life.