Why Beethoven Matters: A Lecture with Dr. David B. Levy, Professor of Music

Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Zoom
Cost: Free and open to the public

Recorded Lecture: Why Beethoven Matters

Why should we still care about a composer who was born 250 years ago? In an era when we measure our lives by the ephemeral yardsticks of what is new and popular, it is helpful to be reminded of that which is enduring. The music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) endures and is still deemed great, not because it is an echo of some distant past, but because it retains the ability to move people deeply, even if they are unable to grasp the reason why. The confluence of head and heart embodied in his music, not to mention the extraordinary epoch of history during which it was created, gave rise to some of the greatest artistic achievements of human creativity that the world has ever known. This lecture will provide abundant evidence that will explore and demonstrate not only the greatness of the man and his music, but will illustrate why we still need him–now, perhaps, more than ever.