7/17 Beethoven's Symphonies and Overtures for Guitarists and Experimental Music Lovers

Picasso, "Woman with Mandolin" 1910

The symphonies of Beethoven are to me the greatest artistic creation in the history of mankind.  So of course it's pretty ambitious to transcribe these for rock instruments.  I resisted for a long while, but once I figured out a way to do the concertos, it was a natural next step.  The first couple symphonies took to a new instrumental arrangement relatively painlessly, but then things started getting sticky.  By the time I got to the 8th, the whole thing started sounding like avant-garde music from the future!  Taming the 9th was a journey in itself.  Nonetheless, here's the fruits of those labors, and I'm sure I'll come back to these again and again with "improvements"....

Symphony No.3 in E flat major, Op.55 'Eroica' (1805)



Symphony No.7 in A major, Op.92 (1811)

Click for the 9 Symphonies of Beethoven for Rock and Roll Addicts

Overtures here:

7/16 The Compleat String Quartets for Guitarists and Experimental Music Lovers

Picasso: "Bottle, Guitar, and Pipe" Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

I've posted about my sequenced "rock" transcriptions of Beethoven's string quartets a couple times before but this time I've gone back and remixed/remastered them a bit, with some simulated "turntable" visuals.  Basically I added more drums, reverb and compression.  They'll probably still drive any purists insane with cries of sacrilege, but for anybody with a background in rock and avant-garde music approaching my own, these might be entertaining and perhaps even illuminating.

While arranging/transcribing Beethoven's various types of music (quartets, concertos, symphonies, etc...) into these somewhat similar rock arrangements, I could more clearly see the different composing approaches he used between these genres.  The concertos seem the most straightforward from a melodic and structural standpoint, though the solo part gets all the "adventurous" stuff.  The quartets have the most complex and labyrinthine horizontal/melodic material, and the symphonies take a middle ground of having dense vertical constructions but simpler thematic material.  These are just gross generalizations of course...

String Quartet 10 in Eb, Op 74 "Harp" (1809)



String Quartet 11 in Fm, Op.95 "Serioso" (1811)

Full Quartets Below:

Early Quartets: Opus 18

Middle Quartets: Opus 59, 74, 95

Late Quartets: Opus 127, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135

Symphonies tomorrow....

7/15 The Weirdest Piano Concerto Arrangements You'll Love Vol.2

Remember when I posted the "The Weirdest Piano Concerto Arrangements You'll Love Vol.1"? Well here's Volume 2...hope you enjoy listening, these were a blast to put together!

Piano Concerto 1
I: 0:04 II: 12:29 III: 20:32

Link

Piano Concerto 2
I: 0:05 II: 13:15 III: 20:36

Link

Piano Concerto 4
I: 0:04 II: 16:44 III: 20:20

Link

Triple Concerto

Link

Next post is going to be delayed because I'm just BARELY keeping up in these last few mega-posts and Youtube just yanked my unlimited time-limit video rights for no apparent reason - which means I may have to redo a whole lot of already completed videos. Sad face.

6/21 The Weirdest Piano Concerto Arrangements You'll Love Vol.1

“Guitar” (1914) ferrous sheet metal and wire" MoMA © 2011 Estate of Pablo Picasso

The Weirdest Piano Concerto Arrangements You'll Love Vol.1...or perhaps can "Like Eventually"...

After doing rock versions of Beethoven's complete string quartets, I decided that I wanted to hear how his concertos might sound if the lead instrument were a guitar instead of a piano or violin (or cello).  After a few fruitless attempts at incorporation guitar sounds into symphonic arrangements, I tried to do a guitar and synthesizer version.  Despite a good amount of work I finally had to admit that it just didn't sound that good.  Finally I realized that I should go back to my previous idea with the quartets and make full rock band arrangements for these works.  It took a bit more work since I didn't want to lose a single note, but I managed to get everything down to 2 electric guitars, bass and organ (as well as the lead instrument).

Here's Beethoven's Violin Concerto in a "Rock" arrangement.  Electric guitar replaces the violin solo, as well as the 1st violin part.
1 Allegro ma non troppo: from 0:03
2 Larghetto: from 22:03
3 Rondo. Allegro: from 29:18
Guitar Arrangement sequenced by Ed Chang using Synthfont.

Link

And here's Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto in a similar arrangement, with acoustic guitar as the soloist and electric guitars in the 1st and 2nd violin roles...
1. Allegro con brio: from 0:03
2. Largo: from 14:24
3. Rondo-Allegro: from 21:49
Guitar Arrangement sequenced by Ed Chang using Synthfont.

Link

Piano Concerto 5...the piano solo is divided into Left Hand -> Acoustic, Right Hand -> Electric
I: 0:03    II: 18:44   III: 25:15

Link

I did arrangements for all of B.'s concertos so I'll put up some more soon....

6/17 All New Beethoven Guitar Hits!

There's nothing more educational (for me, at least) than to post about Beethoven every single day - but a close second would arranging his works for guitar.  Taking a close look at each and every measure and tweaking them to fit in the context, range and style of a guitar is a bit of work - but quite rewarding.  A couple of my recent "experiments" are these two transcriptions: an arrangement of B.'s Symphony 3 "Eroica" 1st Movement (adapted from Franz Liszt's transcription for solo piano) and the Diabelli Variations (using a new guitar sound than my 2 previous versions).  As with my other guitar arrangements these sequenced realizations would  probably be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to play in real life without special tunings, etc...but they sound still pretty cool I think as "virtual extrapolations"...

Symphony 3 "Eroica" for 2 Guitars

Link

The Diabelli Variations for 2 Guitars

Link
Left Side Guitar - TOP                     Right Side Guitar = BOTTOM 
0:04 - Tema : Vivace
0:52 - Variation 1 : Alla marcia maestoso
2:22 - Variation 2 : Poco allegro
3:22 - Variation 3 : L'istesso tempo
4:15 - Variation 4 : Un poco piu vivace
5:03 - Variation 5 : Allegro vivace
5:52 - Variation 6 : Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
7:24 - Variation 7 : Un poco piu allegro
8:40 - Variation 8 : Poco vivace
9:47 - Variation 9 : Allegro pesante e risoluto
11:25 - Variation 10 : Presto
12:24 - Variation 11 : Allegretto
13:40 - Variation 12 : Un poco piu moto
14:45 - Variation 13 : Vivace
15:53 - Variation 14 : Grave e maestoso
19:46 - Variation 15 : Presto scherzando
20:34 - Variation 16 : Allegro
21:39 - Variation 17 : Allegro
22:45 - Variation 18 : Poco moderato
25:10 - Variation 19 : Presto
26:07 - Variation 20 : Andante
27:32 - Variation 21 : Allegro con brio - Meno allegro
28:50 - Variation 22 : Allegro molto ( alla 'Notte e giorno faticar' di Mozart)
29:36 - Variation 23 : Allegro assai
30:25 - Variation 24 : Fughetta ( Andante)
32:52 - Variation 25 : Allegro
33:37 - Variation 26 : Piacevole
34:21 - Variation 27 : Vivace
35:09 - Variation 28 : Allegro
36:11 - Variation 29 : Adagio ma non troppo
37:19 - Variation 30 : Andante, sempre cantabile
38:49 - Variation 31 : Largo, molto espressivo
42:28 - Variation 32 : Fuga (Allegro)
46:07 - Variation 33 : Tempo di minuetto moderato

This is my 3rd try at making a Diabelli Variations guitar recording, I think it's the final version...the previous two are OK but this one has the best guitar sound I think.  Previous versions:

Electric and Acoustic guitars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0RyJF5Uavo
Acoustic Guitars (1st version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTg1GWIiX7w

However, for a live rendition of an arrangement of B.'s 5th Symphony I think this is the guy to beat:
Warning - very loud recording...

Beethoven 「運命」　LUNA KENZO

6/7 The Elegiac Song (3 Versions)

Beethoven's Elegischer Gesang Op. 118 has the unusual instrumentation of chorus and string quartet.  Though it's more commonly performed with a a string orchestra these days, it was originally scored with a quartet in mind and the video below features just that.

Allmusic:

The Elegiac Song was composed during the summer of 1814 in memory of Eleanore von Pasqualati, the wife of Baron Johann (Beethoven's frequent and favorite landlord beginning in 1804), who had died in childbirth three years earlier. Her music-loving husband, the Empress Maria Theresia's physician, not only tolerated Beethoven's obsessive-compulsive changes of residence but made him feel a member of the family. We don't know who wrote the words, originally assigned to four singers and string quartet and later reworked for small chorus and string orchestra without double-basses. The music, which raises its voice only on the words "himmlischen Geistes," is indubitably the heartfelt product of its composer; its brevity alone is the reason we hear it so seldom in concert. 

(Actually Allmusic's info may be a bit out of date since I've read from other sources that Op.118 was still in sketch phase in 1814 and that modern scholars actually think the vocal group was originally for chorus, not 4 soloists.  The text was possibly written by Ignaz Franz von Castelli.)

Text:

Sanft, wie du lebtest, 
hast du vollendet, 
zu heilig für den Schmerz!
Kein Auge wein' ob 
des himmlischen Geistes Heimkehr.

Gently, as you lived,

have you died,

too holy for sorrow!

Let no eye shed tears

for the spirit's heavenly homecoming.

Elegischer Gesang Op. 118
Emory Mastersingers , Jonathan Arnold, conductor
VEGA String Quartet, 3/27/2011

Link

In keeping with the idea that no one is exactly sure what the instrumentation is supposed to be for this work I took the liberty of sequencing a version for guitar and winds (HERE), as well as a version for piano and winds (HERE).

6/6 The Other Symphony in C Minor

YOUNG BEETHOVEN (Lladró Porcelain Figures) 

One of my favorite finds on the Unheard Beethoven site is the early Symphony in C minor which Beethoven sketched but never completed.  Composed while still in Bonn, this sketch exists mainly as a piano score, but with markings for future orchestration.  In any case, it stands with the early Piano Quartet WoO. 36 as some of my favorite early Beethoven.  I have no idea why this is not more well known...

The Unheard Beethoven site features a midi version using full orchestration, completed by Willem, but I've never had much luck with full-symphony midi files.  So what I did here is to condense this completion back into piano score (in the video below), though I kept the timpani part.

Symphony Movement in C minor, Hess 298. (1791/93). orchestrated and completed
Midi Author: xickx
(The Unheard Beethoven)
"The Hess 298 sketch can be found in the Kafka Sketchbook, which is in the British Library. The heading reads: Sinfonia, and the tempo indication is Presto. It is in 3/4 time. The 111 bars long sketch is written on two staves, as if for piano. We have therefore not only the main melody, but also the bassline, which indicates unambiguously the intended harmonies. Once, in bar 91, there is an indication regarding the orchestration: obo[e]. Following this big chunk there are two little snippets, one 9 bars, the other 5 bars long. Clearly Beethoven intended to write a movement in Sonata form: the sketch covers the larger part of the expostion, with a first theme in C minor (bar 1), a transition (bar 68) and a second theme in the parallel key of E flat major (bar 86). The sketch breaks off halfway the second theme group.
"As is clear from the state in which Beethoven has left the sketch, it is impossible to complete this movement without the addition of extra material. A completion can therefore never claim to be authentic. It should be stressed that the aim of such a completion is to merely provide a framework which places the notes as written by Beethoven in an appropriate context, so that they can be judged and enjoyed as real music."

Willem's orchestrated version can be found here.  A midi of Beethoven's original sketch can be found here.

My reduction of Willem's orchestral arrangement to piano and timpani is below:

Link

6/5 Lieder Redux 2 (More Clarinet and Guitar Arrangements)

Yesterday I featured my sequenced arrangements of some of Beethoven's song lieder in the form of guitar and clarinet duos.  This time I cover some of my favorite lieder without Opus numbers:

1. WoO 116 Que le temps me dure (How slowly time passes) 2 Versions

2. WoO 118 Seufzer eines Ungeliebten - Gegenlieb (Sigh of one who is unloved - Love returned)

3. Some Short Songs w/o Opus numbers:

• WoO 125 La tiranna (The tyranny) (0:04)
• Hess 133 Das Liebe Katzchen (The Dear Kitten) (2:30)
• WoO 142 Der Bardengeist (The Bardic spirit) (2:56)
• WoO 117 Der freie Mann (The free Man) (3:34)

4. WoO.131 Erlkoenig 

5. WoO 134 Sehnsucht (Longing)


Linklist

(Postcard images from http://www.lvbeethoven.com)

6/4 Lieder Redux (Clarinet and Guitar Arrangements)

Recently I've been having some more fun with sequencing Beethoven compositions - this time rearranging vocal lieder from the original piano and voice instrumentation into guitar and clarinet duos.  Why?  The fact that I don't sing or play piano (tho I do play guitar and clarinet) may have something to do with it...Nonetheless I find these versions can provide additional appreciation for the melodies that Beethoven worked into the various texts he put to music.

Lieder Redux Playlist 1 (Works with Opus Numbers)

An Die Hoffnung Op.32
Adelaide, Op.46
6 Songs Op.48

• - No.1 Bitten (Entreaty) (0:02)
• - No.2 Die Liebe des Nachsten (Love of one's neighbor) (1:06)
• - No.3 Vom Tode (Of Death) (1:53)
• - No.4 Die Ehre Gottes aus de Natur (The Glory of God in nature) (3:59)
• - No.5 Gottes Macht und Vorsehung (God's power and providence) (5:24)
• - No.6 Busslied (Song of penance) (5:57)

8 Songs, Op.52

• - No.1 Urians Reise um die Welt (Urian's voyage round the world) (0:02)
• - No.2 Feuerfarb (The color of flame) (0:45)
• - No.3 Das Liedchen von der Ruhe (The Little song about peace) (1:43)
• - No.4 Maigesang (Maying Song) (2:36)
• - No.5 Mollys Abschied (Molly's Departure) 4:38)
• - No.6 Die Liebe (Love) (5:08)
• - No.7 Marmotte (5:52)
• - No.8 Das Blümchen Wunderhold (The Little flower wondrous fair) (6:24)

6 Songs Op.75

• - No.1 Kennst du das Land (Do you know the land) (0:01)
• - No.2 Neue Liebe, neues Leben (New love new life) (3:15)
• - No.3 Aus Goethes Faust (Mephisto's Flohlied/Song of the flea) (6:09)
• - No.4 Gretels Warnung (Gretel's warning) (8:05)
• - No.5 An den fernen Geliebten (To the distant beloved) (9:25)
• - No.6 Der Zufriedene (The Contented man) (10:20)

3 Songs, Op. 83

• - 1. Wonne der Wehmut (Joy of Sadness) (0:01)
• - 2. Sehnsucht (Longing) (2:08)
• - 3. Mit einem gemalten Band (With a painted ribbon) (3:57)

Songs 1803-1822

• -  Arietta Op.82, No.1 Hoffnung (1809) (Tell Me Dearest, That You Love Me..) (0:01)
• - Op.84 Egmont: Clarchen's Song: 'Freudvoll und leidvoll' (1810) (Joy and Sorrow) (1:40)
• - Op.88 Das Glück der Freundschaft (1803)(The Good Fortune of Friendship)(3:03)
• - Op.99 Der Mann von Wort (1816)(A man of his word)(5:04)
• - Op.100 Merkenstein (1816)(6:30)
• - Op.128 Ariette (Der Kuss/The Kiss) (1822)(6:54)

Linklist

4/1 Squeezed, Stretched and Webernized Beethoven

Well, being that today is April Fool's Day, I feel somewhat less inhibited than normal to post some of my more outlandish Beethoven "experiments"...

Last week, while working on my exotic percussion version of the 32 Variations in C minor WoO.80, I accidentally mapped the midi pitch data from the drum tracks to the guitar track, and when I replayed the sound file I thought...hmmmm, very "Webernian". Anyways, beyond the technical stuff, this is not "12-tone" in any way that is on purpose - it's just a bit of "chance-generated" fun and I'm pretty sure it would fool my mother if I told her it was by Webern...
An Atonal Variation on Beethoven's 32 Variations on an Original Theme
(Acoustic Guitar and Percussion Soundfonts)
Visuals by Malinowsky MAM Player

If Beethoven was Reborn as Webern

Another little oddity I put together is this ridiculously sped up version of the Moonlight Sonata.  I actually prefer the Moonlight Sonata to be played as slowly as possible, but increasing the speed to 1500 beats per minute and changing the sound to "guitar harmonics" yields something that might have come from the episode of Star Trek where the aliens were living at super-fast speed.
Moonlight Sonata at 1500 BPM on Guitar

Moonlight Sonata at 1500 BPM on Guitar

On the other end of the "time" spectrum is this version of the 9th Symphony.  A composer decided to digitally stretch out the 9th Symphony to the length of 24 hours.  The pitches all remain the same - but the durations of each note are lengthened proportionately so that the entire work (normally 75 minutes) is stretched to 24 hours. Here's a sampling, uploaded to Youtube by YT-er duckieforever.

Duckieforever says: "The music is astounding, and ethreal, and beautiful. I just can't really say it any other way besides that. It's not like anything that I've ever heard in my life. But, for once, I think that after hearing the music rendered this way, I understand it more completly. It may not be what any of you enjoy, but I just ask that you open your minds, take a small breath, and relax."

A Total Beethoven Experience

For more on this work and accounts from attendees of a "performance" of this 24 hour version, check out the below link where you can find a Radiolab Radio podcast about it. (Direct mp3 link HERE)
Time - Radiolab

3/25 Beethoven on Exotic Percussion Instruments

African Slider Guiro - Ghana Shaker

Beethoven never visited the African continent or any other truly exotic tourist destinations in his lifetime, so he probably never heard any indigenous folk music from Egypt or India for example.  But if he had, I wonder if he would have incorporated some of these instruments into his work?  Since he was a big proponent of music technology and the first to use percussion as a primary motivic element (timpani in many symphonies/concertos and the "Turkish" interlude in the 9th Finale), I'm sure of it.  However, what I'm presenting today is probably nothing like what he might have composed.  It's still "from" Beethoven tho (in a sense).

I took a midi file of Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor WoO.80 (1806) and mapped the notes to a soundfont comprised of exotic percussion samples. Though the pitches are no longer Beethoven's, the rhythms, dynamics and phrasing are still his. Still "classical music"?  Either way - I thought this came out pretty good...or at least fascinating.  (Visuals by Malinowsky MAM Player.)

Next, I took a midi file of Beethoven's "24 Variations on Righini's aria 'Venni Amore', WoO.65" (1791)
and arranged it for "junkyard percussion".  These are sounds recorded from pots, pans, powertools, and stuff you might find in a junkyard....the nature of these variation pieces lend themselves well to rhythmic transformations, I think.  By the way, these variations were originally dedicated to Countess Maria Anna Hortensia von Hatzfeld.  Somehow "The Hatzfeld Variations" has a nice ring to it.



These "arrangements" were alot of fun to create - I just hope this won't be known as the post where the Daily Beethoven "jumped the shark".
:)

3/18 If Beethoven Played a Toy Piano

About a month ago I posted Margaret Leng Tan's performance of the 1st movement of the Moonlight Sonata on toy pianos.  So when I recently came across some soundfonts for toy piano I "went to town" so to speak.  As regular readers are well aware, one of my favorite pasttimes is making music videos of Beethoven's works sequenced through midi and performed on alternate instrumentation.  So here is Beethoven's earliest published work (at age 12) - performed on the "RedGrand" toy piano sample set. It starts out a bit slow - but gets going soon enough...


9 Variations On A March Of Dressler, WoO.63 (1782) (Arr. for Toy Piano)
Toy Piano Arrangement by Ed Chang using Synthfont. / RedGrand
Original MIDI sequence for piano by Bunji Hisamori
Visuals from Stephen Malinowski's MAM Player


Link

And here's a live version performed on a harpsichord/cembalo - which sounds a little bit weird to me (and for me to say that it must mean something):
(Wilhelm Krumbach, Cembalo)

Link

The original version for piano can be found HERE.

(I also did a version of this piece for acoustic guitar here: 9/24 If Beethoven Played Guitar V1)

3/10 String Quartet Op.133 "Grosse Fuge" (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Yesterday was the color chart/video of Opus 130, and since the Grosse Fugue was originally the grand finale of Opus 130 it seems necessary to put up Mr. Rich's color breakdown of this crazy and fun behemoth.  I think this is like the 2nd or 3rd analysis of the G.F. I've posted, but this one is pretty much all from Alan Rich's book, "Play by Play".  Personally I like my own analysis better, his is a little too simplified for my tastes, but I learned alot from his....

String Quartet Op.133 "Grosse Fuge" (1826)
Guarneri Quartet


Overture (MAROON)
1st Theme
2nd Theme
3rd Theme
4th Theme

Part I: fugue (based on 4th Theme): (BROWN)
Entrance 1
Entrance 2
Entrance 3
Entrance 4
Exposition (partial)
Variations on subject
Exposition (partial)
Exposition (variations on subject)

Part II: (BLUE)
3rd Theme (return)
3rd Theme (several fugue-like entrances)
3rd Theme (fragments)
3rd Theme (variation)

Part III: (VIOLET)
2nd Theme (return)
2nd Theme: fugue
2nd Theme: fugue (abridged)
2nd Theme (variation)
2nd Theme (further variation)

Part IV: (SEA GREEN)
3rd Theme (return)
Transition

Part V: (DARK BLUE)
2nd Theme (return)
2nd Theme (development)
1st Theme (return)

Part VI: fugue (based on part I) (OLIVE)
1st Theme (return)
Part I (variation)

(form breakdowns from Alan Rich's "Play by Play")

Rock Arrangement:

3/9 String Quartet Op.130 (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 130 has the distinction of having had the "Grosse Fuge" as it's original ending, and then having that shortly replaced with a new final movement, which also happens to be B.'s last completed work.  For those reasons it's very much an "omega" work.  One thing that always amazes me about the new finale is that it's so joyful and "peppy".  At this time B. must have suspected that he wouldn't live much longer - he was trying to recover from a long-term illness during it's composition.  Also he was completely deaf, and his nephew Karl had just tried to commit suicide, blaming B. for driving him to such an extreme.  He was staying at his brother Johann's with whom he had had many rows, composing a work in response to public rejection of one of his most ambitious works.  It could not have been a happy time.  Nonetheless, the music of this "replacement movement" is vivacious.  I wonder if composing such contrary music was a method of self-therapy?  Let there be Light!

String Quartet Opus 130 (Final Version)
Guarneri Quartet
I. Adagio ma non troppo (0:00)
II. Presto (D♭) (13:40)
III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (B♭ minor) (15:36)
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (G) (23:01)
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (E♭) (26:47)
VI. Finale. Allegro (33:50)

---

CHANNEL LINK (Click here to see this video on my YT Channel.  Once there, click on "(more info)" and then you can view the video in place, while scrolling through the text below)

I. Adagio ma non troppo/Allegro

--Exposition:

• Introduction, part I (BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (OLIVE)

--Exposition (Repeat):

• Introduction, part I (LIGHT BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (LIGHT MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT OLIVE)

--Development: 

• First part: based on Introduction (VIOLET)
• Second part: based on 1st Theme

--Recapitulation:

• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part II (variation)
• 2nd Theme (variation) (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme (return)
• 3rd Theme (return)
• Coda (VIOLET)

II. Presto (starting from 13:40)

• A (GREEN)
• B (BLUE)
• Transition (PURPLE)
• A (Return) (GREEN)

III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (starting from 15:36)

Exposition

• Introduction (BROWN)
• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• Transition (OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)

Exposition Repeat

• Introduction (LIGHT BROWN)
• 1st Theme (LIGHT MAROON)
• Transition (LIGHT OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT VIOLET)

• Coda (OLIVE)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)
• 3rd Theme: Development

IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai (starting from 23:01)

A: 

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part II (LIGHT BLUE)

B: 

• 1st Theme (GREEN)

A:

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, parts I and II (variation) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (fragmented variation) (LIGHT BLUE)

V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo (starting from 26:47)

1st Theme, part I (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II

1st Theme (return)

2nd Theme (BLUE)

2nd Theme (return)

3rd Theme (VIOLET)

1st Theme, part I (return) (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II (return)

VI. Finale, Allegro (starting from 33:50)

Exposition

• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (GREEN)

Exposition Repeat

• 1st Theme (repeat) (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (repeat) (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (repeat) (GREEN)

Development (PURPLE)

Recapitulation

• 1st Theme (return) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (return) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (return) (LIGHT GREEN)
• Development (return) (LIGHT PURPLE)

• Coda (BROWN)

(form analysis from Alan Rich's "Play by Play")

And finally my sequenced "Rock" arrangement for those who like guitars, organ, bass and drums...if you're ambitious you could theoretically play both at the same time...maybe not.

 I. 0:04, II. 11:13, III. 13:17

IV. 19:00, V. 21:50,  VI. 29:01

3/4 "Learn to play Beethoven's 5th on Guitar" / Quartets V2

Beethoven seems to inspire many guitarists.  After piano, there are probably more amateur guitar performances of B.'s music than on any other solo instrument.  In fact, on Youtube there are over 7,000 videos featuring Beethoven's music on guitar...  I suspected that there might be alot but I was staggered to find the actual number.   Recently I came across a few ensemble guitar performances which stand out in some way I think....this batch concentrates specifically on the 5th Symphony.  Feel free to, uhh, skip to the next track if you feel the need  ;)

• 1. Kid playing the 5th in a surf band (Takeshi "Terry" Terauchi Arr.)
• 2. Drummer showcase of the 5th, probably my favorite of this genre
• 3. Acoustic guitar orchestra arrangement of the 5th
• 4. Salsa Arrangement by Sverre Indris Joner
• 5. "Wave Invasion" surf medley using Fur Elise, 5th S, Ode to Joy
• 6. Ruthie Bram's exuberant guitar solo to the 5th
• 7. Taiko Game version (surprisingly entertaining)
• 8. Symphony 6 "Pastoral" performed by "Sharp 5" (psych/pop version '71)
• 9. Beethoven can save the Climate

Playlist

This seems like an appropriate post to mention that I re-uploaded my rock-sequenced arrangements of Beethoven's 17 string quartets of last year with MAM Player visualizations - here's the main text I wrote for each of these vids on Youtube...

String Quartets (Rock Arr. w MAM Visuals)

Guitar Arrangement by Ed Chang using Synthfont.

Visuals from Stephen Malinowski's MAM Player

Original MIDI sequences : www.stringquartets.org

Boilerplate: These tracks were originally created for my own use to understand Beethoven's string quartets. As an electric guitarist, I "hear" guitar and drums better than violin, so these helped me to follow the different melodic and harmonic turns that Beethoven used in these frankly still-revolutionary works. Weird syncopations and awkward double-stops and trills on violin sound even more exciting and shocking in today's musical vernacular IMHO, and when you add 'Chad Wackerman-style' drums doubling the bass melodies it gets pretty close to fusion/technical metal - tho the most complex metal you'll ever hear.

Of course these are generated from MIDI sequences and triggered soundfonts (samples) so there's a little bit of a "suspension of disbelief" necessary. However if you like Squarepusher, Meshuggah, Alec Empire, Merzbow, or even Nine Inch Nails, then the "oddness" might not require much of a leap - I quite like the "gunny-glitchy" parts myself and decided not to fix them. There were many things I could have done to make these more "real" (for example alternating dynamics on up/down strokes for fast passages, and modifying sustain envelopes on long notes, etc...) but I'll leave that to some one with more patience than I....

About the visuals: YT-er Smalin has been making visual scores of classical music for a few years now and when he made a "home-use" software version I was all over it. The only problem was that in it's current version it doesn't support soundfonts and does not render to video. Nonetheless I LOVE these visual representations and they are the closest approximation to what I see in my mind's eye when listening to instrumental music. I ended up rendering the audio on Synthfont, screencasting the MAM Player with CamStudio, and syncing them up in WMM. Obviously just one step above recording these on a cellphone, but that's what it is for now. Smalin will hopefully release a new version of the MAM Player with rendering options in the coming year(s)...

And here's the playlists for all of the re-envisioned 17 String Quartets arranged for "Rock Ensemble":
Early Quartets (Op. 18)
Middle Quartets (Op. 59, 74, 95)
Late Quartets (Op. 127, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135)

3/3 Missa Solemnis (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

The Missa Solemnis ("Solemn Mass") in D from 1823 was a work Beethoven himself hailed as his "greatest" - at least until the 9th Symphony came along. I'm not going to go much more into background - I have alot of typing ahead of me...it's epic and sublime should be heard live at least once in a lifetime, preferably in the 2nd row center seats.  Worth it at any price.

Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123 (1823)
Sir Colin Davis, LSO

0:00    I.   Kyrie

11:07   II.  Gloria

30:01   III. Credo

52:32   IV.  Sanctus / Benedictus

1:09:41 V.   Agnes Dei

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CHANNEL LINK: Click here to see this video on my YouTube Channel. Once there, click on "...(more info)" to scroll through the text description while the video stays in place.

I...-Kyrie - Assai sostenuto (starting from 0:00)

Part I (MAROON): 1st theme: orchestra: D major

2nd theme: orchestra (solo clarinet): G major

3rd theme: orchestra

1st theme: chorus: “Kyrie" / 2nd theme: tenor solo: "Kyrie"

3rd theme: alto solo/chorus:"Kyrie eleison"

4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus (in canon): “Eleison"

Part II (GREEN): andante assai ben marcato: solo quartet:“Christe": B minor

Chorus: "Christe"

Variation: chorus/solo quartet:"Christe"

Part I (return) (MAROON) : 1st theme:orchestra

1st theme (return): chorus/solo quartet: ”Kyrie"

5th theme: chorus: "Eleison"

1st theme (final variation):chorus

II...-Gloria - Allegro vivace (starting from 11:07)

Part I (BROWN): orchestra: 1st theme: D major

1st theme: chorus: “Gloria”

2nd theme: chorus: ”In Excelsis”

1st theme: chorus: "Gloria"

3rd theme: bass chorus: ”Et in terra"

1st theme (variation): chorus: ”Laudamus te"

4th theme: chorus:”Glorificamus": D major

4th theme (variation):chorus: ”Glorificamus": G major

Part II (GREEN): meno allegro: 1st theme: orchestra/chorus/solo:”Gratias"

1st theme (variation): chorus:"Gratias”

1st theme (variation of 1st theme, part I) (BROWN): ”Domine” E flat major

2nd theme: solo quartet:"Domine fili"

3rd theme: chorus: "Domine deus" F major

(Qui tollis - Larghetto, BLUE) Development: orchestra

1st theme: solo quartet: ”Qui tollis": F major

1st theme (answer): chorus:”Miserere", Soloists

1st theme (variation): chorus "Qui tollis": D major, Soloists

2nd theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Qui sedes": B flat major

3rd theme: solo quartet:“Miserere”

(Quoniam - Allegro maestoso, MAROON) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra

1st theme: chorus:"Quoniam": D major

2nd theme: chorus: “Cum sancto”

Part II: allegro ma non troppo:fugue, PURPLE: 1st theme: chorus:"In gloria”

1st theme (variation): solo quartet/chorus: ”In gloria"

1st theme (variation, condensed fugue): chorus:"In gloria"

Part III (GREEN): poco piu allegro: solo quartet: "Amen": D major

Part IV: presto (return of 1st theme from GLORIA) (BROWN):"Gloria"

III...-Credo I - Allegro ma non troppo (starting from 30:01)

1st theme: orchestra/chorus:"Credo": B flat major (BROWN)

1st theme (return): chorus:"Credo"

2nd theme: chorus: “Deum de deum”: G major

3rd theme: chorus:”Consubstantialem"

4th theme: chorus: "Qui propter nos homines"

5th theme: chorus:"Descendit"

(Et incarnatus est - Adagio, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Et incarnatus"

2nd theme (development):andante: chorus/tenor solo:“Et homo"

3rd theme: adagio espressivo:solo quartet: "Crucifixus"

4th theme: quartet/chorus:"Passus": sequence of keys

5th theme (development):allegro: chorus: ”Et resurrexit"

6th theme: chorus: ”Et ascendit": C major

7th theme: chorus:"Judicare": sequence of keys

1st theme (variation): chorus:”Cuius regni"

(Credo II - Allegro ma non troppo, GREEN) Part I: 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, CREDO I): chorus:"Credo"

Part II: allegretto ma non troppo: 1st theme: chorus:“Et vitam"

Part III: allegro con moto: 1st theme (variation of part II):“Et vitam"

Part IV: grave: 1st theme:chorus/solo quartet: “Et vitam": B flat major

IV...-Sanctus/Benedictus (starting from 52:32)

(Sanctus - Adagio, BROWN) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra: Dmajor

1st theme: solo quartet:"Sanctus"

1st theme (return): solo quartet: “Sanctus”

Part II (OLIVE): allegro pesante: chorus: ”Pleni sunt”: D major

Part III (BLUE): presto: 1st theme:chorus: ”Osanna"

(Preludium/Benedictus - Sostenuto, PURPLE) Introduction: orchestra

Solo violin entrance

1st theme (MAROON): chorus bass/solo violin: ”Benedictus"

2nd theme: solo alto/bass (BLUE): "Benedictus”: G major

2nd theme: solo soprano/tenor: “Benedictus”

3rd theme (MAROON 2): chorus: ”In nomine"

2nd Theme (variation) (BLUE): solo quartet: "Benedictus"

3rd Theme (variation) (MAROON 2): chorus "In Nomine"

1st Theme (variation) (MAROON): solo quartet:"Qui venit"

4th theme (GREEN): chorus "Osanna" G major

V...-Agnus Dei - Adagio (starting from 1:09:41)

1st theme (MAROON): orchestra/bass solo: "Agnus dei": B minor

2nd theme (BROWN): orchestra/chorus: "Miserere"

1st theme (variation): alto/tenor solo: “Agnus"

2nd theme (variation): alto solo/chorus: "Miserere”

1st theme (variation): solo quartet: “Agnus"

2nd theme (variation):chorus/solo quartet:”Miserere"

(Dona nobis pacem - Allegretto vivace, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus: "Dona nobis": A major

2nd theme: chorus:”Pacem": D major

3rd Theme:chorus:"Dona nobis"

4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus/soprano solo: "Dona"

(Agnus dei - Allegro assai, GREEN) Part I: Development: orchestra

Development (quasi-recitative): solo quartet:"Agnus dei"

1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): quartet:"Dona nobis"

2nd theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"

3rd theme (variation of 4th theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):chorus/solo quartet: “Dona nobis”

Part II (VIOLET): presto: orchestra: D Major

Development: chorus: ”Agnus"

1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Dona nobis": B flat major

Part III (BROWN): 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):quartet: "Dona"

2nd theme (variation):chorus: ”Dona nobis": D major

3rd theme: solo quartet:“Pacem"

4th theme: chorus: ”Pacem" D Major

5th theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"

Breakdowns quoted directly from Alan Rich's book, Play by Play.  Usually I go through each section and "vet" each of Mr. Rich's sectional breakdowns, since I try to clarify things a bit more (at least for me) but for this one I frankly just did a straight copy.

For more, here's a superb website devoted to the Missa Solemnis :
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/BeethovenMissaSolemnis/missa_solemnis.html

Ah yeah - almost forgot to tack on one more >ahem< "rockified remix"...
Gloria:

2/24 Beethoven's Mass in C (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Beethoven's Mass in C from 1812 is not as popular as the monumental Missa Solemnis from 1823, but it's actually a big favorite with me. It was originally composed for Papa Haydn's old boss, but apparently Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II didn't clap loudly enough and our man B. stormed out in a fury... Frankly I find it's brazen modulations and fiery dynamics to be a kind of "punk-rock" cousin to the Missa...it's shorter and faster and the orchestration seems to me to be a bit leaner.

Mass in C for Solo, Chorus and Orchestra Op.86 (1812)
Sir Colin Davis with the LSO and Chorus
0:00 1. Kyrie
5:54 2. Gloria (Qui tollis – Quoniam)
16:34 3. Credo
29:00 4. Sanctus (Benedictus – Osanna)
40:36 5. Agnus Dei (Dona nobis pacem)
This work has so many sections that it might be hard to keep the video and the breakdowns all on the same page...may be best to get 2 computers side by side for this post ;)

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CHANNEL LINK: Click here to see this video on my YouTube Channel. Once there, click on "...(more info)" to scroll through the text description while the video stays in place.
 
I. (starting 0:00)
Kyrie - Andante con moto

1st Theme: chorus: "Kyrie": C Major (BROWN)

2nd Theme: soprano solo: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

2nd Theme: solo qrtt/chorus: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Christe" (BLUE)

(1st Theme variation (chorus: "Kyrie"): E Major  2:55) (BLUE)

2nd Theme (repr.): soprano solo: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

II. (starting 5:54)
Gloria - Allegro con brio (BLUE)

1st Theme: chorus: "Gloria" C Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Bonae voluntatis" A minor

3rd Theme: tenor solo/chorus: "Gratias agimus" Bb Major

Qui Tollis - Andante mosso (GREEN)

1st Theme: alto solo/chorus: "Qui Tollis" F minor

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Qui Tollis"

2nd Theme: chorus: "Qui sedes"

Quonium - Allegro ma non troppo

1st Theme: orchestra: C Major (BLUE)

1st Theme: chorus: "Quoniam" (BLUE)

2nd Theme: Fugue: chorus: "Cum Sancto" C Major (MAROON)

Text Painting: solo soprano/chorus: "Amen" (PURPLE)

III. (starting 16:34)
Credo - Allegro con brio
1st Theme: chorus: "Credo" C Major (MAROON)
2nd Theme: chorus: "Factorum" (sequence of keys) (BLUE)

1st Theme variation: chorus: "Et in unum" (MAROON)

3rd Theme: chorus: "Ante omnia" (BLUE)

4th Theme: chorus: "Deum de deo" Eb Major (BLUE)

5th Theme: chorus: "Consubstantialem" Eb Major (BLUE)

6th Theme: tenor/bass solo: "Qui propter nos homines" (BLUE)

Et incarnatus est - Adagio, Part 1 (VIOLET)

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Et incarnatus" Eb Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Crucifixus" Bb minor and sequence of keys

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Passus"

Part 2 - Allegro ma non troppo (PURPLE)

1st Theme: Bass solo/chorus" "Et ascendit" D Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Sedet" C Major

3rd Theme: chorus: "Cujus regni" G Major

4th Theme: solo qrtt: "Et in spiritum"

5th Theme: chorus: "Qui locutus est" C Major

Part 3 - (DARK BLUE)

Fugue: chorus: "Et vitam" C Major

Fugue variation: alto solo: "Et vitam" A Major

IV. (starting 29:00)
Sanctus - Adagio

1st Theme: orchestra A Major (MAROON)

1st Theme: chorus: "Sanctus" (MAROON)

2nd Theme: allegro: chorus: "Pleni sunt coeli" D Major (MAROON 2)

3rd Theme: chorus: "Osanna in excelsis" (MAROON 3)

Benedictus - Allegretto ma non troppo (BLUE)

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major

2nd Theme: solo qrtt: "Qui venit"

3rd Theme: quartet/chorus: "Benedictus" C Major

(4th Theme: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major 35:25)

1st Theme variation: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major

5th Theme (reprise of Sanctus 3rd Theme): chorus: "Osanna"

V. (starting 40:36)
Agnus Dei - Poco andante
1st Theme: chorus "Agnus dei" (OLIVE)
2nd Theme: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

1st Theme variation: chorus: "Agnus dei" (OLIVE)

2nd Theme variation: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Dona nobis" (BLUE)

4th Theme: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

5th Theme: chorus: "Pacem" (BLUE)

(breakdowns from Alan Rich's book, Play by Play!!).

Recall when I mentioned this work being like "punk-rock"?  Welll.....

2/14 Ode to My Hammer-guitarre, or "If Beethoven Played the Guitar Edition 99"

As an experiment, I used my handy MIDI-switchblade to switch a few voices in the 4th Movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony...I was curious to hear the Ode to Joy on a purely harmonic and melodic level without the beautiful text - so goodbye vocal soloists and choir, hello guitars! I also left out the first section (instrumental overture) since it had no vocals (guitar material). For visuals I decided to make the whole thing a tribute to my guitar - it is Valentine's Day after all ;) .
(Picture effects are from befunky.com)
Symphony 9 Movement 4 "Ode to Joy with Guitar samples 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qR6uNNrxGE

I also took the "liberty" of arranging the Hammerklavier Piano Sonata for electric guitars...another MIDI-sourced Synthfont-assisted musical Frankenstein. Interestingly, right after I rendered the audio file, the program crashed...maybe Ludwig is trying to tell me something?
The "Hammer-Guitarre" Sonata arrangement of Beethoven's Opus 106

I   0:06 

II  12:51 

III 15:05 

IV  28:40

I actually did an earlier video-rendition (music is the same) using spectrum analysis instead of the Malinowski MAM Player - that can be found HERE.

2/2 Fur Elise Fantasia for Contrabassoon and Guitar

It always surprises me at how stripped down Beethoven's arrangements are compared to say, Debussy or Mahler.  He only had one work with a harp in fact.  Of course many new instruments were invented after Beethoven's time.  If Beethoven were alive today would he be writing a contra-bassoon Sonata?
Bagatelle 'Für Elise,' WoO.59 (1810) (for Contrabassoon ensemble)

Then again, maybe there WERE contra-bassoons in B.'s day and he left well-enough alone...;)

And here's another guitar arrangement I made with SynthFont which I don't think I've posted yet....
Fantasia In G Minor Op.77 (1809) (Acoustic Guitar arrangement)


Here's a "real" version by Geoffrey Tozer who I've never heard of until I came across this video (why have I never heard of this guy? This is great!).

12/28 Eroica Variations Autograph Battle

15 Variations and a Fugue in Eb 'Eroica Variations' Op.35 (1802)

 The Front Cover already has some "forebodings"...

 Things start out fairly peacefully

 Tensions creep in..

 The battle is joined!

 Counter-attack successful

All's well that ends well.

Full Autograph score here.
Previous post on the Eroica Variations (with Glenn Gould)

I might as well throw in this old chestnut as well.
In response to no demand whatsoever, here's another of my guitar arrangements using Synthfont, this time of the Eroica Variations: