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.
Beethoven
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