Radio 3 in Concert: Waltzing with Beethoven

From the Royal Festival Hall, Paul Lewis concludes his three-year series dedicated to Haydn, Brahms and Beethoven., in a concert from 2019 He begins with a playful sonata by Haydn and continues with music by Brahms, whose Op 117 Intermezzi are three poignant lullabies expressing the quiet melancholy of his last years. The second half features the epic Diabelli Variations. Beethoven poured a lifetime's experience into his final piano work: it's at once playful and profound, an endlessly imaginative and often funny set of 33 variations based on an unpromising little waltz by his contemporary, Anton Diabelli. Presented by Martin Handley. Haydn: Sonata in E minor, Hob XVI/34. Brahms: 3 Intermezzi, Op 117. 8.10 Interval. 8.30 Beethoven: 33 Variations on a waltz by Diabelli, Op 120. Paul Lewis (piano)