Composer of the Week: Beethoven: Beethoven and the Drums

Donald Macleod meets with professional musicians to understand Beethoven's music and the challenges it presents. Today, he is joined by Adrian Bending to explore Beethoven from the perspective of a timpanist. Adrian shares his thoughts on regularly performing and teaching the music of Beethoven, how the composer placed greater demands upon his timpanists including widening the dynamic range of the instrument, and Adrian's criteria for deciding whether to use period timpani or not. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op 61 (excerpt). Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Deutsche Symphonie Orchestra Berlin, conductor Robin Ticciati. Beethoven: Symphony No 4 in B flat, Op 60 (Adagio - Allegro vivace). Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conductor Joshua Bell. Beethoven: Symphony No 3 in E flat, Op 55 "Eroica" (Marcia funebre). The London Classical Players, conductor Sir Roger Norrington. Beethoven: Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 67 (Allegro & Allegro - Presto). Berlin Philharmonic, conductor Sir Simon Rattle