Roam about Beethoven
Instructor: Nicolas Boulaine

January 20, 22 | 1-3 p.m.

The concert of December 22, 1808, in Vienna, at the imperial “Theater an der Wien,” was a unique concert in history, a failure… but one of the most fabulous.

    What happened that night?

    What was Sturm und Drang?

    What was the historical and cultural environment between 1770 and 1830, when Ludwig van Beethoven composed an extraordinary set of music?

    What did he look like?

    His family, youth, love life, political ideas, religious beliefs, health issues, deafness, virtuosity…

    Did Mozart and Beethoven meet?

    Who was the “Unsterbliche Geliebte?” (spoiler : no one knows).

    Everything you always wanted to know about Beethoven*   

    Samples of his best music.

    Could he talk to us through his music? How?

    And mostly, what example did he leave us?

*but were afraid to ask.

Nicolas J. Boulaine, born in Béziers, France, entered the University of Orient in Cumaná, Venezuela, in 1969. He held the chairs of British history, American history and British literature. He also taught electives in History of Music, History of Painting and History of English, and a seminar on Shakespeare. Professor of Sacred Art, lecturer with extensive experience and translator for the Research Council, he is the author of An Attempt at a Historical Explanation of English, 1985, Another History of English, 1995, and A History of Classical Music, 2007, published by the University of Orient. His latest book, for his grandson, The History of the World told to Nicolas Eduardo is the one of which he is most proud.