Music Societies

Beethoven Piano
Society of Europe

CONTACT:

The Secretary
BPSE
12 Heybridge Drive
Barkingside
Essex, IG6 1PE

EMAIL & WEBSITE

History and Aims

The Beethoven Society of Europe was established in London by a steering committee of distinguished pianists and scholars: Kendall Taylor CBE, Professor Malcolm Troup, Peter Feuchtwanger, Alberto Portugheis, Carola Grindea, J. Audrey Ellison and Malcolm Miller, and launched at a Beethoven-Day held at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on 28 March 1993.

The Society constitutes an international forum for pianists, teachers, music lovers and musicologists for the greater appreciation of Beethoven's piano music in all its aspects. The Society's primary aim is the promotion of the authentic interpretation of all Beethoven's music for, and including, piano along the deeper awareness of his pianistic oeuvre.

Activities for our members involve musicians and scholars from all over Europe and beyond, concerned with the enrichment of both performance and reception of the repertoire. Through a wide variety of events the Society aims to encourage the highest standards of interpretation and scholarship. Our programme of events covers such issues as the comparative study of interpretation and editions, the historical context of the oeuvre, and the most recent Beethoven research. Our concerts feature not only the familiar repertoire of sonatas and concertos but also the less frequently performed chamber and piano music.

Society Activities and Publications

A variety of activities is organised by the Society to cover the teaching and performance of Beethoven's piano music. Amongst the major events presented by the society are an annual Beethoven Intercollegiate Piano Competition (on 16 December, his birthdate) with the Beethoven Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and a variety of valuable awards, and an annual Masterclass/Concert in the Spring.
The Society also holds conferences, lectures and lecture-recitals, festivals, day-schools and other courses.
Bonn, Vienna and Prague are examples of tour destinations.
Information about all activities, as well as news and correspondence, is communicated in a regular Newsletter, distributed to members, while a more extensive journal is projected for future publication.

Benefits of Membership

The annual subscription of £12.00 covers newsletters with information on Society events and concessionary rates.
Joint and overseas members pay £16.00.
There is a reduced subscription for of £10.00 for members of EPTA, and a student rate of £5.00.
Membership runs from 1 April, with reductions for mid-year applicants.

European President
Alfred Brendel

European Vice Presidents
Martha Argerich
Paul Badura-Skoda
Stephen Kovacevich
Edith Picht-Axenfeld
Fanny Waterman CBE

UK President
Kendall Taylor CBE

UK Vice Presidents
J Audrey Ellison
Peter Feuchtwanger
Colin Taylor

UK Chairman
Malcolm Troup

UK Vice Chairmen
Carola Grindea
Alberto Portugheis

Treasurer & Secretary
Henry W Atterbury

Membership Secretary
Maya Jordan

"....The complete collection of Beethoven's piano works forms a store of unassailable masterpieces for all time......"

Carl Czerny

 

"......Beethoven's piano sonatas are unique in three respects. First, they represent the whole development of a genius, from his beginnings to the threshold of his late quartets. There the Diabelli Variations and the last set of Bagatelles round out the picture. Secondly, there is not an inferior work among them....... Thirdly, Beethoven does not repeat himself in his sonatas; each work, each movement is a new organism.

......What, then, should the interpreter do? Two things, I believe. He should try to understand the intentions of the composer, and he should seek to give each work the strongest possible effect."

Alfred Brendel

With the support of the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England and of

 

Bösendorfer

Editorial Consultant
Dr. Malcolm Miller

Committee Members
Angela Brownridge
Norma Fisher
Dorothea Law
Ian Stirling

Patrons
H.E The Austrian Ambassador
Diane Andersen
Sulamita Aronovsky
Sebastian Benda
Dr Emil Brix
Jacques Chapuis
Marcella Crudelli
Anthony Fessler
Peter Frankl
Lyn Garland
Frank Heneghan
Rena Kellaway
Rosa Maria Kucharsky
John Lill
Dr Peter Marginter
Dominique Merlet
David Peacock
Bernard Roberts
Andras Schiff
Eimar Steen-Nökleberg
Richard Wenn
Dr C B Wynn Parry

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