DHL has partnered with Beethoven-Haus Bonn to develop and transport a one-of-a-kind multimedia exhibit that documents the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven on a two-year global tour to commemorate the composer’s 250th anniversary.
The exhibit’s United States leg begins in Los Angeles on May 17 to 26 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The stop in Los Angeles is paired with a special Beethoven program of concerts by Los Angeles Philharmonic and world famous artists including Lang Lang, Conrad Tao, Beatrice Rana, Yulianna Avdeeva and Javier Perianes.
“Ludwig van Beethoven and his work continue to enthrall people everywhere, even 250 years after his birth! It’s a great pleasure for us to contribute to the 2020 celebration with this multimedia exhibit on Beethoven’s life and work, and we’re proud to offer our logistics expertise to make the exhibit available to people around the world,” says Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which is based in Bonn, Germany, the Beethoven’s birth place. “Beethoven was a visionary. He revolutionized the music of his time and has since inspired generations of musicians. Our company is equally innovative and has been bringing people together since 1490 – through the introduction of the postal service, the invention of express delivery services, and today with our goal of zero-emission logistics.”
DHL participated in the design of the traveling exhibit, which consists of eight modules on the life and work of Beethoven and is designed to allow concert hall visitors to directly access the various displays. Multimedia elements provide insight into Beethoven’s work. A digital animation sheds light on Beethoven’s creative process, showing the individual steps from initial sketch book through to finished musical score. An interactive timeline highlights the important events in Beethoven’s life as well as the larger social/political context of his time from his birth in 1770 through 1827 when he died. The exhibit also features unique pieces from the Beethoven-Haus collection, some being shown internationally for the first time, such as Beethoven’s original ear trumpets and an original print from Andy Warhol’s 1987 Beethoven Series. Special audio samples allow visitors to experience for themselves the extent of Beethoven’s hearing loss.
“Not only is the design challenging, but also the logistics behind this kind of exhibit require much expertise. In 2019 and 2020, ‘BTHVN on Tour’ will travel some 50,000 kilometers – via air and also by road freight. All the equipment needed for the exhibit, along with the delicate (in some cases irreplaceable) pieces from the Beethoven-Haus collection, need to be transported safely but also expediently. As a longtime partner of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as other orchestras, exhibitions and museums, our specialists have years of experience transporting fragile and highly valuable objects,” explains Vincenzo Scrudato, managing director of DHL’s Trade Fairs & Events GmbH. “The exhibit cargo is being transported in special containers featuring our DHL SmartSensor Technology to make sure optimal temperature and humidity levels are maintained.”
“We’re proud that Beethoven-Haus has entrusted DHL with transporting the priceless originals from their collection, which otherwise wouldn’t leave the Beethoven-Haus museum. Numerous original exhibit pieces and high-quality facsimile reproductions created especially for the exhibition, combined with multimedia technology, give visitors a fascinating look into the life and work of Beethoven,” says Greg Hewitt, CEO for DHL Express U.S. “It’s even more special for us to have the exhibit’s U.S. tour coincide with the DHL 50th anniversary celebration this year.”
The exhibit is free to the public during time when WDCH is open to public for self-guided tours and 90 minutes prior to concerts for ticketholders. Please visit The Music Center for times.
After Los Angeles, the exhibit will travel to New York (June 6 to 11); Cincinnati (Sept. 23 to 30); and Boston (Oct. 27 to Nov. 2) and then on to venues across Europe and Asia in 2020.
The Beethoven concert programs are as follows:
Friday, May 17, 2019, 8pm
Sunday, May 19, 2019, 2pm
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Lang Lang, piano
BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture
HAYDN Symphony No. 104, “London”
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2
Saturday, May 18, 2019, 8pm
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Beatrice Rana, piano
Conrad Tao, piano
BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1
Conrad Tao
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
Beatrice Rana
Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 8pm
Chamber Music Series
Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
BEETHOVEN String Trio in D, Op. 9, No. 2
BEETHOVEN Serenade in D major for String Trio, Op. 8
BEETHOVEN Septet in E-flat, Op. 20
Thursday, May 23, 2019, 8pm
Friday, May 24, 2019, 8pm
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano
Javier Perianes, piano
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
Yulianna Avdeeva
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
Javier Perianes
Saturday, May 25, 2019, at 8pm
Sunday May 26, 2019, at 2pm
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Ailyn Pérez, soprano
Anna Larsson, mezzo-soprano
David Portillo, tenor
Matthias Goerne, bass-baritone
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
BEETHOVEN Mass in C
HAYDN “Lord Nelson” Mass
For full artist biographies, please visit laphil.com
For full information on BTHVN on Tour, please visit here
