Beethoven and me
A Sky Arts film by Sky Arts Ambassador for Music, Charles Hazlewood.
Charles Hazlewood: Beethoven and Me was awarded Best Music Programme in the 2022 Broadcast Awards
“Astonishing candour and a symphony of solace... it simply did what all arts films should do — deepen your appreciation of the art and what it can bring.”
Marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, Beethoven and Me is a deeply personal exploration of Beethoven’s struggle in art and life (as Charles believes, largely the result of childhood abuse inflicted on the great composer), in the context of Charles’ own personal childhood trauma.
“Serious, high-minded and brilliant – this is a stunning lesson in not patronising audiences”
Underpinned by performances by a 38 musician-strong Paraorchestra, the film uses Beethoven’s 5th Symphony to illustrate the genius and various health conditions that both influenced and disrupted Beethoven’s work.
‘Ever since I got my first Beethoven record, aged 7, I have experienced a troubled relationship with his music. It’s horribly uncomfortable for me to work with, right until the final performance which is always pure ecstasy. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I began to recognise similar traits, a parallel, between my subsequent personality disorders and Beethoven’s. With the help of professionals in the field, this film was my opportunity to explore that’. Charles Hazlewood
“A deeply original and thought-provoking film”
The film explores some of the earlier sketches of his 5th Symphony that viscerally demonstrate the five or six years of agony, torment, and despair Beethoven experienced when composing the piece – writing, and rewriting, scribbling so hard his pen rips the page, discarding his work, and starting all over again. All, arguably, evidence of obsessive behaviour.
“An extraordinary programme”
“This film has been incredibly difficult to make. For one, forming a socially distanced orchestra within COVID-19 safety guidelines was very challenging; an orchestra want nothing more than to be as close as possible for that collective sound. But on a personal level, it was very triggering for me.” Charles Hazlewood
Beethoven and Me aired on free-to-view Sky Arts at 9pm on Tuesday 16th February 2021. It followed the news of Charles’ appointment as Sky Arts Ambassador for Music and with it a subsequent investment in the talent of his Paraorchestra.
In the press:
Mail on Sunday *****
The Observer: New Review Q&A interview
Pick of the Day - Radio Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Observer, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, The Times, Sunday Telegraph
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