The Sound of Nature – The Beethoven Pastoral Project

How does music resonate in a time where the world faces climate change and environmental devastation? Find the answer in our film, The Sound of Nature.

In 2020, the world celebrates the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven. With his 6th Symphony, the “Pastoral,” Beethoven expressed his romantic appreciation of nature. Now this work is the basis of the “Beethoven Pastoral Project,” captured by 3B-Produktion on behalf of Deutsche Welle in the documentary film “The Sound of Nature.” It presents five musicians and ensembles on five continents who are currently exploring the themes of nature and the environment. The film will be broadcast on World Environment Day (5 June).

The key anchor point of the film is Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphonie. Using Beethoven’s romantic sense of environment as a starting point, we asked how we engage with nature today and how this is reflected in the music of our time. A wide range of music is taken into account and showcased: from the contemporary compositions of Brett Dean to the music of Aterciopelados, the environmental activists from Bogotá. From the classical interpretations of the Pastoral by a European Orchestra, to the adaption of a Pastoral motif by Indian musicians.
The common denominator is always the question: how can we as humans do justice to the environment and how can we express or relationship to nature in music?
In addition to the documentary we share the project through social media clips and deepen the focus on some aspects through videos on YouTube.

English title The Sound of Nature
Genre Documentary
Duration 52 minutes
Production Company 3B-Produktion
Distribution TV Deutsche Welle
Assoc. Producer Reiner Schild, Susanne Lenz-Gleissner
Executive Producer Maria Willer, Bernhard von Hülsen, Rolf Rische
Director Grete Liffers
Editor Elisa Purfürst
Director of Photography Nikolai Sevke
Camera Ben Bernhard, Thomas Frischhut
Sound Engineer Jonas Nahnsen, Hennig Jäger
Graphics Sascha Moser