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In the comic strip below, penned by Charles Schulz on the 31st January, 1967, Schroeder tells Lucy that the woman he marries (if he marries anyone at all), would have to make excellent macaroni and cheese, because it was Beethoven’s favourite food.

Macaroni with Parmesan cheese was expensive in Beethoven's day,  pasta costing three times more than rice and Parmesan cheese had to be imported from Italy. According to the website, Fine Dining Lovers, the macaroni and cheese Beethoven’s housekeeper would have served him would have been a simple combination of macaroni, drained and seasoned with salt, butter, pepper, and Grana Padano cheese.
When Beethoven was in the middle of one of his marathon composing sessions, he ordered his housekeepers not to disturb him with such trivialities as food and told them to leave his supper in the room for him to eat whenever he finished. After eating, he would go back to his piano and play until the small hours.

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Beethoven kept Italian stracchino and Verona salami in his room, perhaps to snack on once he realised he'd missed his lunch.  Uncharacteristically, he did once invite his friends to a dinner he was to cook himself.  Ignaz  Seyfried described the scene as follows:

"They found their host in a short evening jacket, a stately nightcap, and a blue kitchen apron, very busily engaged at the hearth. After waiting patiently for an hour and a half, the dinner was finally served.
The soup recalled those charitable leavings distributed to beggars in the taverns; the beef was but half done and calculated to gratify only an ostrich; the vegetables floated in a mixture of water and grease; and the roast seemed to have been smoked in the chimney.  Nevertheless the giver of the feast did full justice to every dish.  And the applause which he anticipated put him in so rosy a humor that he called himself "Cook Mehlschöberl," after a character in the burlesque, "The Merry Nuptials," and tried by his own example and by extravagant praise of the dainties which still remained, to animate his continent guests.
They, however, found it barely possible to choke down a few morsels, and stuck to good bread, fresh fruit, sweet pastry, and the unadulterated juice of the grape."

O. G. Sonneck (ed., Beethoven: Impressions of Contemporaries, 1926)

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The second movement starts with four enigmatic bars, played unisono, consisting of a semitone followed by a major third, four times. There is no beginning and no end, creating a feeling of eternity, from which a  lighthearted dance emerges. At the same time we never get rid of the hypnotic circling first motive, which runs alongside. What’s interesting in Beethoven’s late quartets is the way he makes everything more diffused. He will never give you a straight dance in three, he constantly obscures the bar lines. Philosophically, I understand it as a version of reaching acceptance-there is no other way to play or listen to this music than to let yourself be carried along in the maze of a genius’ mind. In contrast to the original music forms, like sonata form or a standard minuet and trio, you never quite know where you are going or when you are going to arrive, which seems to me a way of life you relax into when you get older. When Beethoven wrote this, he had just come out of a long illness. Maybe these teach us acceptance and ease of going along with the flow? I think in our present times we have learnt these lessons as well.

The trio has one of the most difficult viola solos-I keep practising it, but the perfect version I’m imagining in my head proves elusive. It’s in E Major which is a difficult key technically as the hand needs to stretch out to catch the notes. The use of all strings, going up and down constantly, further adds to the level of stress. When the trio starts it feels just like a perfect Ländler, although the two violins introduce it, and they are playing sky-high, using the E string as a drone. As it carries on the first beat keeps getting moved around which makes you feel like you are floating up in the air, before bringing you back to earth with a bump.

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The last Raz Club (for now, at any rate), focuses on one of the greatest composers of all time; it’s nice, for me at any rate, that he was an enthusiastic drinker – although perhaps a little too enthusiastic, given that he may have died either of cirrhosis of the liver or of lead poisoning from drinking adulterated wine. These days, happily, German wine is much healthier (especially as the cool climate means it tends to be lower in alcohol – 12% or so, compared to the 14% or 15% of big reds from places like the Rhône or Australia). And much of it is superb – particularly the dry Rieslings, with their violin-wire acidity, and the cherryish, fresh Pinot Noirs. Below is a case from German specialist The Wine Barn, chosen by me, which comes with a 5% discount – go to https://thewinebarn.co.uk/products/raz-club-wine-tasting-case and use code RAZCLUBFIVE – and comes to £112.35 including delivery within England (order by 28 June absolute latest to receive your wines in time). For those not ready for a six-bottle order, Novel Wines have a few good Germans, including Bibo Runge dry Riesling (£19.99) which is utterly gorgeous.

Here, by way of sign-off, are two Beethoven anecdotes. Two, because the wine-related one was too sad to end on: apparently, a publisher gave the dying composer 12 bottles of wine as a gift, and Beethoven’s final words were: “Pity, pity, too late!” My favourite, though, was the great man’s response to receiving a New Year’s card on which his pompous brother had signed himself “Johann van Beethoven, Landowner”, which was to turn it over and write on the back, “Ludwig van Beethoven, Brain-owner”. Prost!

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My recipe is Pesto. I make it every week-we keep it in the fridge and have it on sandwiches and with pasta. In our house it is accepted as our favourite last meal if we had to choose one.

100g fresh Basil

50g Pecorino

40g Parmesan

40g Pine Kernels, roasted

1 Glove Garlic

Good quality Olive Oil

Throw everything into the food processor (although I usually do the Basil first, in batches, as otherwise everything gets stuck), then scrape it all out into a bowl. Add  Olive Oil to your desired consistency.

I don’t measure the ingredients so the quantities are approximate.

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This is actually Ellie's sisters  favourite chicken recipe and we love it so much because it reminds us of being altogether with our family.                           4 -6 chicken thighs with bone 6 cloves of garlic                         1 onion                                Butter                                     200g Cooked rice (preferably any leftover rice from a previous meal)                                          4-5 large potatoes cut into 4 Olive oil                                   Tsp Herbs de Provence (or any mixed herbs)                            1/2 glass of white wine         One chicken stock cube dissolved in 50 ml of boiling water.                                                                                          Method                                    Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Peel and chop the potatoes and then boil in a large pan of salted water for around 20 minutes until parboiled (slightly soft but not cooked through). Cook the rice if not using leftovers.While this is cooking, prepare the chicken thighs.Chop the garlic into small pieces. Place the chicken thighs in a heavy roasting tin with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the chopped garlic and herbs de Provence.  Dissolve the stock cube in the water and add to the pan with the white wine. When the potatoes and rice are ready, slug some oil on the bottom of a large roasting dish and spread out the rice. Slice  the onion and sprinkle over the top with 3-4 knobs of butter.  Then, place the parboiled potatoes on top and drizzle with oil as if you were roasting them. Put both pans in the pre-heated oven for around 35- 40 minutes or until the potatoes look crispy and yum and the chicken juices run clear.Enjoy with some fresh greens. 

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This is actually Ellie's sisters  favourite chicken recipe and we love it so much because it reminds us of being altogether with our family.                           4 -6 chicken thighs with bone 6 cloves of garlic                         1 onion                                Butter                                     200g Cooked rice (preferably any leftover rice from a previous meal)                                          4-5 large potatoes cut into 4 Olive oil                                   Tsp Herbs de Provence (or any mixed herbs)                            1/2 glass of white wine         One chicken stock cube dissolved in 50 ml of boiling water.                                                                                          Method                                    Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Peel and chop the potatoes and then boil in a large pan of salted water for around 20 minutes until parboiled (slightly soft but not cooked through). Cook the rice if not using leftovers.While this is cooking, prepare the chicken thighs.Chop the garlic into small pieces. Place the chicken thighs in a heavy roasting tin with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the chopped garlic and herbs de Provence.  Dissolve the stock cube in the water and add to the pan with the white wine. When the potatoes and rice are ready, slug some oil on the bottom of a large roasting dish and spread out the rice. Slice  the onion and sprinkle over the top with 3-4 knobs of butter.  Then, place the parboiled potatoes on top and drizzle with oil as if you were roasting them. Put both pans in the pre-heated oven for around 35- 40 minutes or until the potatoes look crispy and yum and the chicken juices run clear.Enjoy with some fresh greens. 

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Chocolate? Avocados? Whatever happens this will be delicious! I made it first for an easter treat and it was so easy and SO delicious I thought it would be lovely to share with you all. The recipe is from Jamie Oliver.                           300 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)                                             2 large ripe avocados                2 heaped teaspoons cocoa powder                                         2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence                      3 tablespoons maple syrup      1 x 160 g tin of coconut cream Fresh fruit such as oranges, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries                                to serve (optional) : amarena cherries in syrup and white chocolate                                    1. heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth, stirring occasionally (or gently melt in the microwave). Remove the pan from the heat, keeping the bowl over the pan.                    2. Meanwhile, halve and destone the avocados and scoop out the flesh into a food processor. (Try to remove as much of the flesh as possible, but a little left in the shell is fine).                                            3. You’ll now have four empty avocado skin halves. Using a clean pastry brush, brush the inside of the avocado shells with a layer of melted chocolate until evenly covered. Transfer to a tray and place in the fridge for 10 minutes until set. Repeat this process two more times, until you’ve applied three layers of chocolate. Return the tray to the fridge for half an hour, or until set completely.                    4. Meanwhile, place the pan and bowl back on a low-medium heat, snap in the remaining dark chocolate and leave to melt.                             5. Once melted, add the chocolate to the food processor with the cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, coconut cream and a pinch of salt, and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then pulse again, until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge until needed (but no longer than 2 hours).                            6. Once the chocolate shells are set, gently peel the avocado skins away from the shells and discard. Heat a tablespoon in a jug of boiling water for a few seconds.         7. Now it’s time to get a bit creative with your presentation: using the hot spoon, roll up 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mousse for each serving plate (you will end up with about half of the chocolate mixture leftover, please see tip below). Press the chocolate shells onto the mousse, filling each with a little fruit (I used halved strawberries and blueberries, orange segments and a couple of amarena cherries).       Drizzle with a little of the cherry liquor, and some melted and grated white chocolate to finish, if you like.

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Chocolate? Avocados? Whatever happens this will be delicious! I made it first for an easter treat and it was so easy and SO delicious I thought it would be lovely to share with you all. The recipe is from Jamie Oliver.                           300 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)                                             2 large ripe avocados                2 heaped teaspoons cocoa powder                                         2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence                      3 tablespoons maple syrup      1 x 160 g tin of coconut cream Fresh fruit such as oranges, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries                                to serve (optional) : amarena cherries in syrup and white chocolate                                    1. heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth, stirring occasionally (or gently melt in the microwave). Remove the pan from the heat, keeping the bowl over the pan.                    2. Meanwhile, halve and destone the avocados and scoop out the flesh into a food processor. (Try to remove as much of the flesh as possible, but a little left in the shell is fine).                                            3. You’ll now have four empty avocado skin halves. Using a clean pastry brush, brush the inside of the avocado shells with a layer of melted chocolate until evenly covered. Transfer to a tray and place in the fridge for 10 minutes until set. Repeat this process two more times, until you’ve applied three layers of chocolate. Return the tray to the fridge for half an hour, or until set completely.                    4. Meanwhile, place the pan and bowl back on a low-medium heat, snap in the remaining dark chocolate and leave to melt.                             5. Once melted, add the chocolate to the food processor with the cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, coconut cream and a pinch of salt, and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then pulse again, until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge until needed (but no longer than 2 hours).                            6. Once the chocolate shells are set, gently peel the avocado skins away from the shells and discard. Heat a tablespoon in a jug of boiling water for a few seconds.         7. Now it’s time to get a bit creative with your presentation: using the hot spoon, roll up 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mousse for each serving plate (you will end up with about half of the chocolate mixture leftover, please see tip below). Press the chocolate shells onto the mousse, filling each with a little fruit (I used halved strawberries and blueberries, orange segments and a couple of amarena cherries).       Drizzle with a little of the cherry liquor, and some melted and grated white chocolate to finish, if you like.

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BASSERMANN-JORDAN N/V RIESLING SEKT BRUT

Sekt is Germany’s sparkling wine, and while much of it is cheap and not very cheerful, the bottle-fermented versions by reputed producers are lovely. This estate in Pfalz, the land of sunshine, pork charcuterie and yes, wine (the Mosel Valley runs through the region), has been making wine since 1718 – so Beethoven could actually have tried it.

WIRSCHING 2018 SCHEUREBE QBA DRY

This is the first unusual grape variety of two in this case – and this one is a cross, which means it was invented (in this case by a vine breeder named Scheu), by crossing other grape varieties. That’s not always a success, but here you get a racy, delicately fruited white that ripens more easily than Riesling. Hans Wirsching was the first to plant Scheurebe in Franconia and the family still make this lovely version, as tartly juicy as a grapefruit with a perfume of white flowers.

DR HEGER 2016 WEISSBURGUNDER SONETT QBA DRY

Weissburgunder is Germany’s name for Pinot Blanc, and this lemony, refreshing dry PB, from the volcanic soils of Kaiserstuhl between the Rhine and the Black Forest, is made by a third-generation Heger whose vineyards are ploughed by a horse called Willi. This could wash down the mac ‘n’ cheese, for those who prefer a white.

K. F. GROEBE 2019 ESTATE RIESLING DRY

There had to be a dry Riesling, if only to remind you all how wonderful Riesling fermented entirely dry can be: pure, polished and utterly unlike any other grape. Groebe, in Westhofen near Frankfurt, has been making his for eight generations. And practice, they say, makes perfect…

BECKER 2016 "BECKER FAMILY" SPÄTBURGUNDER QBA DRY

This is Pinot Noir, given its German name, made in Schweigen, right on the French border, where clever Friedrich Becker noticed the similarity of his limestone soils to Burgundy’s and so planted Pinot – a move so economically unwise, in the 1960s, that he had to supplement his income with pig farming. Now the Beckers are famous for their Pinots, which are very different from their earthy cousins in Burgundy – but delicious, nonetheless.

ALDINGER 2017 ESTATE LEMBERGER QBA DRY

This looks like a new variety… but actually, we’ve met it before, in Hungary, where it’s called Kékfrankos (it’s also sometimes known as Blaufränkisch. If we’re going to allow countries their own cuisine, I guess we have to let them name their own grapes, although it does make life more complicated… this is where music wins.) The Aldinger brothers, in Fellbach just outside of Stuttgart, can trace their lineage back to Bentz Aldinger planting the area’s first vines in 1492. They are proud of their balanced, perfumed yet powerful Lembergers, and I think they’re right to be.

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In order to celebrate the end of the Raz Club 'lock down' season, we have assembled a collection of thoughts and recipes which slightly differ to the usual format. We still have a wonderful wine list suggested by Nina ( look out for the special deal at the Wine Barn - deadline for orders is the 28th June), but have different theme for the recipies.
With conviviality now thankfully possible in small groups, each quartet member has contributed a  suggestion which might go well with a musical evening, perhaps now possible to spend with friends. For those into matching, there is also a more typically Beethoven style recipe which will go especially well with Nina's German wine list.

We look forward to seeing you all on the 1st July.

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This recipe is so easy. I can do it without any stress or prep and it is really delicious (although, I always add more olive oil than it says). When I've left cooking to the last minute, I can still pull this out of the bag as it is really quick. It is good for my family of fledgling vegetarians and also great for feeding large groups informally - who wants to eat formally anyway!

Serves 4 generously
spaghetti or linguine 400g
cherry tomatoes 400g
unwaxed lemons zest of 2 large
olive oil 100ml
sea salt 2 heaped tsp (if you are using fine-grain table salt, add a bit less)
kale or spinach 400g
parmesan cheese (I use a vegetarian one) (optional)

Fill and boil a kettle and get all your ingredients and equipment together. You need a large shallow pan with a lid.

Put the pasta into the pan. Quickly and roughly chop the tomatoes in half and throw them into the pan. Grate in the zest of both lemons and add the oil and salt. Add a litre of boiling water, put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove the lid and simmer on a high heat for 6 minutes, using a pair of tongs to turn the pasta every 30 seconds or so as it cooks.

Meanwhile, remove any tough stalks from the kale or spinach and roughly tear the leaves. Once the pasta has had 6 minutes, add the kale and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

Once almost all the water has evaporated, take the pan off the heat and tangle into 4 bowls. If you like, top with a little parmesan.
From A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones (4th Estate, £26)

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This German inspired salad is an easy end to our culinary adventures, but hopefully a satisfying one.
There are plenty of recipes for sauerkraut but you may like to buy a jar from Waitrose, or other supermarket instead. If you can find an Aldi, a German owned chain, then you can also find authentic bratwurst sausages, also found on the shelves in Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Ingredients

4 german sausages
16-20 small salad potatoes 4-5 per person, depending on size
1 ¼ cups sauerkraut rinsed and drained
2 tbsp white wine
1 tsp caraway seeds optional
2 large handfuls about 3 cups arugula, baby gems or mizuna greens
2 tbsp thinly sliced red onion
3 medium radishes sliced

Vinaigrette (makes about 1 ¼ cups)

2 large shallots peeled and minced finely
1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
1 small garlic clove finely grated or minced
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
½ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

To prepare sausages

Place the sausages into large pot or saucepan and fill with enough cold water to just cover the sausages.
Put the pot on the stove, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook jut until the water reaches a gentle simmer – that should take about 6-8 minutes.
Turn off the heat and get those sausages out of the pot. The sausages are now cooked through, tender, and ready for step two, grilling.
Let them cool down. Carefully, using a sharp serrated knife, slice them in half lengthwise.
Set aside on a platter.
To prepare the Potatoes
Place the potatoes into a pot of well salted water. Cover. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, keeping a rolling simmer. Leaving cover slightly ajar, cook for about 10 minutes, or until a knife just slides easily into a potato.
Remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool a bit.
When cooled down, using 4 metal skewers, skewer 4-5 onto each skewer, leaving enough room to grip the end with. Place these on the platter with the sausages.

To prepare Sauerkraut

Place the rinsed and drained sauerkraut into a medium sized pot, with just enough water to cover it, and add the white wine.
Bring to a boil, cover and then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for a good 10 minutes to soften the cabbage. Drain well and add caraway seed (if using) and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside to come to room temperature.

Grill the Sausages and Potatoes

Preheat your grill to 400F or medium high (alternatively you can use a grill pan on the stove top).
When heated through, place the sausages interior side down onto the grill.
Place the skewers of potatoes alongside the sausages.
Turn after 5 or so minutes, checking the underside carefully to ensure that the grill marks are there. The potato skins should be just starting to get burnished.
Once both sides of the sausages are grilled, remove from the heat.
Turn the potatoes till each side is browned and crisped. Remove from heat and add to the sausages.

Prepare the Salad

Cut the sausages in half (only if you want, not necessary).
Cut the potatoes into thirds or 4 slices (if larger) and place in a bowl. Dress with about 3 tbsp of vinaigrette. Toss. This will give the potatoes a head start in soaking up the flavours of the vinaigrette.
Place the rinsed and dried greens you are using into a large platter. Scatter the sauerkraut over this.
Place the sausages over the sauerkraut, and then scatter the potatoes over everything.
Scatter red onion slices over these.
Dress everything with another 1/4-1/3 cup of vinaigrette (as much as you see fit!)
Garnish with radishes and dill. Add another generous grinding of fresh black pepper over everything.

Recipe Notes

The dressing can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge. Remove from the fridge a good half hour before you need it to allow the olive oil to get it up to room temperature. The dressing makes enough for several salads, or for any salads you will be throwing together in the week. It will keep a good month in the fridge.

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I approached Op. 132 with some trepidation.  It was new to me but came with a whole suitcase full of other people’s experiences, expectations and ideas. At first the pressure of performing such a great work, possibly the most wonderful in the repertoire, filled me with a touch of dread.  How was I ever going to climb this mountain, to do this work justice? So many people before me had shaped and worked and studied this piece within an inch of its life, what on earth was I going have to say? But then we began rehearsing.

First of all it was just a run through, a simple read to see what was in store.  Immediately the piece opened up. Its moments of wonder were already tangible despite the lack of knowledge and despite us feeling our way through every bar and phrase.  Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be so hard after all.

We were on the foothills of Everest, and could see the extraordinary, beyond beautiful, path that you must climb to even start to get a view of the valleys below.  This was when I realised that this wasn’t a journey for this Raz Club evening, this wasn’t something I could say ‘yes I’ve done that’ and tick off the bucket list.  This was just the beginning.  We were on the path leading to the car park at the foot of the foothills of the mountain.  And probably, I realised, I would never reach the peak.

When I first began to discover this piece it was as if whispers of characters started appearing on a film roll in my imagination.  First ghosts of an emotion - anxiety, hope and wonder all flashing through my veins within the course of a few bars of music. Then they started to take shape, the ghosts, as if feeding off my practising, my searches, my ideas. They began to fill out into actual characters,  actual people who, even now, if I start to sing the first movement’s main theme I can see. They anxiously wander the streets trying to find some respite from their human anguish, or, in the slow movement, the peaceful, wise, understanding person giving thanks and praise for their life.  I can see the young man, off to war in the March, bravely putting on his uniform and smiling to his mother and sister as he walks out of the door, only allowing his anguish and worry to come to the surface in the recitative section before the last movement.  And then, the last movement.  This for me is so much about the human spirit trying to find solace, trying to not be alone in life. Struggling against the inevitability that we all face day in day out and yet we all try to turn the other way, hoping that maybe it won’t happen to us.  This movement, for me, finds our hero in the wastelands of war or in purgatory, trying to find a way out and yet stuck in an ever swirling waltz with the devil until, finally, when it seems like he is on the way to madness, he is taken somewhere else. There is sunshine, warmth. The violin and cello partner up and they are not alone anymore.  They rise together in the hope that we are not alone. That though we are born alone and die alone we have people, friends, love, food, wine, music. Everything that makes the ineveitable bearable. Above all, the ending is of hope.

So, after this year of aloneness, it seems utterly fitting that we can present this to you all. You, who have made our year less alone, and reminded us every month why we love life and music and people.

As with everything, I am sure in a week, a month, a year, these ideas about this piece will seem outdated, ridiculous, I may find a whole other story within these notes but that it the point.  This performance is now, for you and for us. Next time it will be different and probably, instead of taking a path up the mountain we will take a different path around it, always seeing new and beautiful things.