CHARLES HAZLEWOOD:
BEETHOVEN AND ME
‘Charles Hazlewood: Beethoven and Me’ is a groundbreaking and highly personal documentary exploring the inner life of Ludwig Van Beethoven, by talismanic musician and conductor Charles Hazlewood. Produced by Factory 42 for Sky Arts and directed by Ben Whalley, the hour-long documentary was awarded Best Music Programme in the 2022 Broadcast Awards.
★★★★★
Mail on Sunday
“Serious, high-minded and brilliant…Stunning.”
The New Statesman
“An extraordinary film….Mesmerising.”
★★★★
The Times
“Deeply original and thought provoking…Compelling
★★★★
The i
Beethoven and Charles Hazlewood share a common thread - an abusive childhood. The hour-long documentary, which marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, explores the legendary composer’s struggle in art and life in the context of Charles’ own personal childhood traumas.
“Ever since I got my first Beethoven record, aged 7, I have experienced a troubled relationship with music. It’s horribly uncomfortable for me to work with, right until the final performance which is always pure ecstasy. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I began to recognise similar traits, a parallel, between my subsequent personality disorders and Beethoven’s. With the help of professionals in the field, this film was my opportunity to explore that.”
Charles Hazlewood
With the aid of Paraorchestra, the world’s only fully integrated orchestra of disabled and non-disabled musicians - Charles lays bare both his and Beethoven’s story by digging deep into the making of just one work - the mighty Fifth Symphony.
Watch the documentary here