The music of Ludwig van Beethoven is everywhere. This season the Oregon Symphony programmed two of his overtures and three of his symphonies. Portland Youth Philharmonic played the Ninth Symphony for the first time for their 100th anniversary last May. Two choirs, Choral Arts Ensemble and Pacific University, have programmed the Mass in C major this spring, and two more choirs have programmed the Ninth: Portland Symphonic Choir will give a full performance, and Vancouver Master Chorale will perform the last movement with a couple hundred more choral friends.
Then there are Beethoven’s incredible chamber works, which Chamber Music Northwest is embracing in their 2024 Summer Festival, “The Beethoven Effect,” which kicks off June 27. And the composer’s life and music continues to inspire new works, including contemporary composer Jake Runestad’s poignant choral piece A Silence Haunts Me, which sets the text of Beethoven’s despairing “Heiligenstadt Testament.”
Enjoy delving into your knowledge of the great composer in this crossword puzzle.
The Beethoven Effect – Click here for an interactive puzzle you can fill out in your web browser
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