For much of the 19th century practically the only way for most people to hear Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was to be able to play it themselves on the keyboard, or to hear their neighbors play it for them. It was beyond the capabilities of most orchestras at the time, both in difficulty and in the … Continue reading The Ninth on Keys
Beethoven
Everything You Didn’t Realize You Wanted To Know About Für Elise
Just came across this YouTube video and as it deals with one of my favorite composers, I thought it ought to have a spot on my blog.
A Little Short on Ludwig
Just got back from a piano recital by Isata Kanneh-Mason at the Perelman Theater. Good but not great, is my verdict. The printed program had Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 1 following Mozart’s Piano Sonata K 457, and Chopin’s Ballade Op 38 concluding the program. That made sense in one way in that both the sonatas … Continue reading A Little Short on Ludwig
Louis van Beethoven
Did Mozart and Beethoven ever meet? Probably not, but we can’t be certain. Beethoven probably did hear Mozart play on (probably) a fortepiano (an early version of what became the pianoforte, or what we now call the piano), and he expressed his opinion. “He had a fine but choppy way of playing—no legato.” In other … Continue reading Louis van Beethoven
Freude
One of these days I'll have to learn how to pronounce Yannick Nézet-Séguin's name; I think the diacritical marks over the e's throw me off because they look like accents. Anyway, this afternoon Nézet-Séguin conducted a magnificent performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Who knew an hour could fly by so quickly? I was especially impressed … Continue reading Freude