In 2020 the world will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). The official BTHVN2020 anniversary program will be held under the patronage of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany. One of the anniversary projects is the "Beethoven Pastoral Project".
Beethoven was born in Bonn, which today is not only the City of Beethoven, but also a UN city and seat of the UN's Climate Change Secretariat. Beethoven loved nature. For him it was a place of relaxation, solitude and inspiration. His Sixth Symphony, the 'Pastoral', musically depicts the harmonious unity between mankind and nature. Today, nature is under threat and mankind is on a course to destroy his environment and livelihood.
The "Beethoven Pastoral Project" aims to draw attention to the theme of ‘mankind and nature’, represented in the romantic sense in the ‘Pastoral’ music, and to deal actively with today’s urgent questions of environmental protection and global sustainability, and achieving the aims of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Artists from around the world are invited to develop and unite their own visions of a harmonious co-existence of mankind and nature, with performances of 'their Pastoral' on Earth Day (April 22nd, 2020), United Nations World Environment Day (June 5th, 2020) or a day of their choice before June 5th, 2020 – to shape a powerful statement for environmental protection and sustainable development – for a better world for millions of people.
More information at: www.beethoven-pastoral-project.com i www.bthvn2020.de.