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    Beethoven

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    Otto Klemperer: 'Fidelio'

    This image appears in the gallery:
    Classic FM's Essential Beethoven Recordings

    klemperer fidelio

    2. Otto Klemperer: 'Fidelio'

    This landmark recording came captures conductor Otto Klemperer performing Beethoven's only opera at Covent Garden Opera House with an impeccable cast. It helped to cement Klemperer's reputation as one of the finest Beethoven interpreters of the time, and the live setting makes it even more magical.

    1. Image 1: Karajan beethoven symphonies
    2. Image 2: klemperer fidelio
    3. Image 3: Arturo Toscanini
    4. Image 4: beethoven's piano
    5. Image 5: Wolfgang Schneiderhan - Violin Concerto Op. 61
    6. Image 6: Yehudi Menuhin - Violin Sonatas
    7. Image 7: Emmanuel Krivine - complete symphonies
    8. Image 8: alfred brendel
    9. Image 9: The Busch Quartet - String Quartet No. 7 - 9
    10. Image 10: Riccardo Chailly - Egmont Overture 15 images

    See the full gallery: Classic FM's Essential Beethoven Recordings

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    Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

    Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

    18-year-old pianist Zak plays Beethoven and Chopin medley at Sheffield train station

    18-year-old pianist stuns with original Beethoven and Chopin medley at Sheffield train station

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    Great classical music. Pictured: Gustavo Dudamel, Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and cellist Margarita Balanas

    10 pieces of classical music everyone should know

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    Yuja Wang plays a piano with three pedals – but what are they for?

    Why do pianos have three pedals, and what do they do?

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    Stephen Schwartz, composer of Wicked.

    ‘I just stole it from Beethoven’: Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz on how he wrote ‘Defying Gravity’

    Young boy conducts in the Carlo Felice Theatre

    Conductor dad sits his son on the podium, who reveals his incredible baton skills

    Videos

    Peter Schickele Beethoven 5 parody

    PDQ Bach delivered the ultimate classical music and sport parody in this Beethoven performance

    We ranked Beethoven’s nine symphonies from worst to greatest

    We ranked Beethoven’s nine symphonies from worst to greatest

    French Army Choir and children sing Beethoven in Omaha Beach D-Day ceremony

    Armed forces and children sing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ in stirring D-Day commemoration

    Glenn Gould, Mitsuko Uchida, Yuja Wang: exploring the 25 greatest pianists of all time

    The 25 best pianists of all time

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    Best classical music

    See more Best classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

    Discover Music

    Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

    The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

    Discover Music

    4 eras of classical music

    The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

    Discover Music

    A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

    The 25 greatest conductors of all time

    Discover Music

    Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

    The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

    Latest on Classic FM

    Julie D'Aubigny

    Meet the sword-fighting opera singer who burnt down a convent to rescue her gay lover

    Discover Music

    LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

    LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

    LA Phil

    Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

    Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

    Videos

    Jamie Barton, John Holiday and Adrian Angelico: just three of the incredible performers who also happen to be lighting up opera stages around the world with rainbow colours.

    20 brilliant LGBTQ+ opera stars you should know

    Discover Music

    Inventor creates piano doorbell

    Inventor replaces his ‘boring’ doorbell with a miniature piano

    Discover Music

    Pak chois grow better with classical music

    Bach-choi? Researchers find plants grow leafier when played Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos

    Win tickets to see Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall with a Marriott hotel stay

    Win tickets to see Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall with a hotel stay

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    The Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Johann Strauss II’s ‘The Beautiful Blue Danube’ was broadcast into space, in partnership with the European Space Agency.

    Strauss’ ‘Blue Danube’ waltz has been sent to space... and The Simpsons already predicted it

    Physicists create ‘the world’s smallest violin’ using nanotechnology

    Physicists create ‘the world’s smallest violin’ using nanotechnology

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    11 of the best LGBTQ+ community classical music ensembles around the world

    15 of the best LGBTQ+ classical music ensembles around the world

    Discover Music

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