Supervisor: Karsten Riisager

Beethoven was one of the first composers to apply the measures of the metronome to his musical compositions. However, his use of the metronome has arisen a long debate, since the markings imposed by the compositor are considered to be too quick to be played.
In this student colloquium, we will cover different symphonic recordings and discuss what has led some directors to play Beethoven’s work slower than intended. Additionally, we will create an accurate physical understanding of the metronome using the double pendulum and argue what could have been the problem behind Beethoven’s metronome.