2020 Mountain View Classical Music Season Beethoven Chamber Music Lecture-Recital: "Lieder by Beethoven – Secrets of Time"

The Beethoven we think we know—proud, tempestuous, revolutionary—was, 

in matters of the heart, a true Sagittarius: 

a serial romantic who loved passionately yet never married. 

Across his life, he pursued one brilliant muse after another—women of both beauty and intellect—pouring his longing into art songs (Lieder), 

where poetry and music entwined to confess his deepest affections.  

Yet audiences of his time were far less fortunate than we are. These gem-like works, now revered as milestones of musical history, rarely saw public performance during Beethoven’s lifetime. Over two centuries ago, they existed solely as intimate offerings to the composer’s beloveds. Today, Mountain View Theatre unveils these secrets of time—whispers of a heart history nearly forgot.  

Beethoven's Lieder: A Lecture-Recital

2020 Mountain View Classical Music Season

The German Lied stands among music’s most profound vocal forms, its lyrics drawn from Romantic poets like Goethe, Heine, and Schiller. Composers wove melodies to mirror each poem’s rhythm, imagery, and emotional arc—a fusion of literary depth and musical grace demanding acute sensitivity from both singer and pianist.  

While Beethoven’s symphonies and sonatas dominate his legacy, few recognize his pivotal role in shaping the Lied. These songs, often crafted for lovers, may hold the keys to his most guarded memories.  

Music scholar Mr. Zang Yibing joins forces with mezzo-soprano  Bi Baoyi and pianist Kaori Kitamura to illuminate Beethoven’s romantic soul. Through curated performances and analysis, they will resurrect the sublime interplay of poetry and song that once lived only in private salons—and in the composer’s restless heart.