250 years since his birth, 2020 was set to resound with Beethoven before lockdown disrupted the festivities. Nevertheless, we invited an expert panel - writer Jessica Duchen, tenor  Toby Spence, pianist and academic  David Owen Norris, composer  Freya Waley-Cohen, and Garsington Artistic Director Dougie Boyd - to share their frank impressions on the man, his work, and his enduring spell over musicians and audiences to this day.

Throughout, they talk about several of his treasured works; a few you may know, others may not be so familiar. Duly, we’ve created a Spotify playlist featuring some of the works they mention, as well as each of the panellists’ favourite pieces by Beethoven, some of which sit off-the-beaten-track.

Watch the discussion in full - including a short performance from Toby and David - and listen to the playlist below.

You'll need to download Spotify to hear the tracks in full: it's free with occasional adverts, or £10 a month without. It puts an extraordinary array of classical recordings right at your fingertips.