Remember when 2020 was supposed to be the big Beethoven year? To mark the 250th anniversary of his birth, I mean? How did that work out?

Small compensation, I know, but how about a week’s worth of posts about Beethoven, to mark his actual birthday, commonly observed on December 16?

On the fourth evening of Hanukkah, the obvious choice is Beethoven’s “Variations on ‘See the conquering hero comes,’” from Handel’s “Judas Maccabaeus.” Here’s a performance I’ve got all cued up from a recording of the complete cello sonatas:

Beethoven was a great admirer of Handel’s music. “Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived,” he said. “I would uncover my head and kneel down on his tomb.” On his deathbed, he indicated an edition of Handel’s works and said, “There is the truth.”

Handel’s influence can also be heard in Beethoven’s “Consecration of the House Overture” (which has nothing at all to do with the Maccabees). Note the stately intro of the piece, the fanfares, and the magnificent fugal passages:

If you’ve got a long evening ahead of you, why not give Handel’s “other” holiday oratorio a whirl?

If you want to skip right to the big tune, here it is:

Then I hope you’ll join me for an hour of Hanukkah music by Michael Isaacson, Leon Stein, and Ofer Ben-Amots, on “Pieces of Eight,” on “The Lost Chord,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

Judah Maccabee, 18th century style