Immortal Beloved

Beethoven Excerpt from Andante favori, WoO 57
Beethoven Andenken, WoO 136
Beethoven An die Hoffnung, Op. 32
Beethoven String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95
Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98
Beethoven Resignation, Wo0 149
Beethoven Bagatelle in E flat major, Op. 126 No. 6
Beethoven Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß from String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135

Jessica Duchen narrator
Benjamin Appl baritone
Manon Fischer-Dieskau piano 
Soloists of the Oxford Philharmonic

The identity of the ‘Immortal Beloved’, to whom Beethoven wrote an unaddressed love letter in 1812, has been so well protected that she remains a mystery to this day – or almost. Until the late 20^th century the significance of one candidate was virtually wiped from history. Could this be her? In her recently published novel, Immortal, author and music critic Jessica Duchen explores the tragic history of this extraordinary woman, and what appears to be her long influence on Beethoven and his music. This narrated concert brings a heart-breaking love story to life while demonstrating its heroine’s enduring presence in Beethoven’s works.