Uploaded December 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"Of Myth-making and Monumentality: A Composer’s Response to Beethoven"
University of Chicago Humanities Day
October 17, 2015
Anthony Cheung, Assistant Professor in the Department of Music
Beethoven has always loomed large in my life as a performer and composer, so it seemed only natural to reflect on his influence in my own work. Yet in the past three years, a veritable Beethoven obsession has ensued, with a large orchestra work (Lyra) speculating on a Beethovenian connection with the Orpheus myth, and two chamber commissions specifically requesting a dialogue with well-known works. In addition to discussing my formal, historical, and aesthetic considerations, I will also point to examples of how other composers have responded with homage, parody, and other forms of reinvention when confronted with similar projects.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
"Of Myth-making and Monumentality: A Composer’s Response to Beethoven"
University of Chicago Humanities Day
October 17, 2015
Anthony Cheung, Assistant Professor in the Department of Music
Beethoven has always loomed large in my life as a performer and composer, so it seemed only natural to reflect on his influence in my own work. Yet in the past three years, a veritable Beethoven obsession has ensued, with a large orchestra work (Lyra) speculating on a Beethovenian connection with the Orpheus myth, and two chamber commissions specifically requesting a dialogue with well-known works. In addition to discussing my formal, historical, and aesthetic considerations, I will also point to examples of how other composers have responded with homage, parody, and other forms of reinvention when confronted with similar projects.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
