Apple Music celebrates Beethoven’s 250th birthday with David Hockney and more

(Pocket-lint) – Apple Music has a whole raft of content to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday. As well as exclusive music, playlists and information, the music service has teamed up with renowned artist David Hockney to create the above exclusive artwork. And, yes, being a partnership with Apple means it was created on an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. 

You can see a timelapse of how Hockney created the image on this Apple Music page, which is where you can see all the content around the anniversary. 

Hockney said: “I have always been an admirer of Beethoven’s work which is why I chose to do this project. The iPad painting is called ‘Beethoven After His First Symphony’ which he published in 1800 at 30 years old. It seemed fitting to celebrate his birthday by capturing him at that very significant moment in music history.”

Apple Music editors have selected the best recordings from Beethoven’s Symphonies and Concertos to Piano Sonatas and Trios, String Quartets and Chamber Music to works for Chorus and solo voice to create a new set of playlists that feature Beethoven’s full repertoire. 

Composer Max Richter also explores the impact and brilliance of Beethoven in a short film and guest curates a playlist called The Beethoven Effect. Richter looks to Beethoven for a new track, named Andante Loops, too.

You can also learn about Beethoven’s Symphonies, too – Sir John Eliot Gardiner explores their genius and impact on video – you’ll also see Gardiner’s Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique rehearsing the pieces. Plus, there’s plenty of other new content, too, including Ode to Joy arranged for solo piano by Igor Levit.

Writing by Dan Grabham.