12/15 Beethoven and Ashkenazy, a Lifetime Fascination

(tiefholz.com)

Vladimir Ashkenazy is a huge Beethoven fan.  Interestingly, he did not get into B. until much later in his studies, when he came to the west.  Apparently in his youth in Russia he only really studied Glinka, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev...then B came along and BLEW.HIS.MIND (I'm using a "Jack Black" voice there ;) ).  Here's a survey of A. and B. through about 40 years....

Ashkenazy rehearsing the 5th Piano Concerto with Edo de Waart and discussing Beethoven at around age 30 (1968)...


Ashkenazy performing the 3rd Piano Concerto at age 37:


Age 48 he discussing the inexpressible nature of Beethoven's music and how it seems to be inexhaustible...(I love this interview)


And in 2005, at age 68 conducting the 9th Symphony! 
He really got with the program, eh?