Beethoven Beats

What do people find moving about Beethoven’s music? Why is it still as topical and exciting now as it was 250 years ago? And how would young people today, with the methods of modern music production, give expression to what may have moved Beethoven? With questions like these, the Future Lab ventured an experiment to mark the start of the Beethoven Year 2020.

Upper-school pupils explored Beethoven’s music, inspired by conversations with members of the orchestra and guided by live electronics performer Jonas Urbat and their teachers Thomas Kelch and Gilles Agnamana. Using Ableton, they worked on a recomposition of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for school band, live electronics and orchestra, performed together with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. The premiere took place by invitation of Germany’s Federal President at Schloss Bellevue.