2/22 "Beethoven's 11" (Overtures Overview)

Recently I picked up Beethoven's complete overtures with Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker on LP.  4 vinyl sides containing 11 complete overtures - great stuff.  The symphony "form" developed from the operatic opening overture, so in a way I think of these as 1-movement symphonies.  This seems like a good opportunity to give an overview of all of B.'s overtures (especially as I have Hubert Daschner's liner notes right next to me).

The Creatures of Prometheus Op.43 (1801) (links to Karajan performance)
This overture is influenced by Mozart and includes a solemn introduction followed by a joyful allegro section.  However the use of melodic material from the END of the ballet in the main section of the overture was an innovation for its time.

Leonore I Op.138 (1805) (links to Mengelberg performance)
This overture has a slow middle section and foreshadows the "Florestan melody" - but it was criticized as not having enough melodic material from the "action scenes".

Leonore II Op.72 (1805) (links to Klemperer performance)
B. tried again and this time he followed the plot much more closely, down to the "trumpet call" signalling Pizarro's downfall - talk about spoiler-alert!  What might have confused audiences then was that since the story ends soon after that, there's no reason to revisit the opening exposition, which was typical.  B. didn't feel like following the "liberation of the prisoners from oppression" with a "flirty kitchen comedy scene" I guess...

Leonore III Op.72a (1805) (links to Karajan performance)
In this 3rd try he flip-flopped again and re-integrated the recapitulation.  This lasted about a week....;)

Fidelio Op.72b (1814) (links to Levine performance)
Finally, 9 years later, B. just said "the Devil with it!" and wrote an overture which had absolutely nothing to do with the opera itself.  It's exciting as heck tho.

Coriolan Op.62 (1807) (links to Jurowski performance)
Beethoven avoided the "condensed plot" form and instead just concentrated on a couple main themes and saved the climactic development section for the end.  Daschner writes: "Consequently, the whole of Beethoven's oeuvre scarcely contains sharper contrasts or a more pessimistic ending than those in the Coriolanus Overture".
Arturo Toscanini "Coriolanus Overture Rhearsal" Beethoven

Egmont Op.84 (1810) (links to Karajan performance)
Egmont is another of my favorite overtures and at the end has a moment of silence for the death of the hero (another spoiler alert required here), followed by a radiant, triumphal section, expressing the victory of ideals over bodily destruction.

King Stephen (or Hungary's First Benefactor) Op.117 (1811) (links to Schoenzeler full concert performance)
This overture is basically "incidental music" (film music) using Hungarian flavors (in quasi-sonata form).

The Ruins of Athens Op.113 (1811) (links to Schoenzeler full concert performance)
The shortest overture, this one is also "incidental music" using Turkish flavors this time - it was only used at the opening of the new theater at Pest - and only before the 3rd act even.

Name-Day Op.115 (1815) (links to Karajan performance)
Originally labeled "for any occasion - or for concert use",  it contains seeds of the 9th Symphony.  Name-Day is not the same as a birthday - it's related more to one's actual name and the matching saint's feast day.  More...

The Consecration of the House Op.124 (1822) (links to Kocsis performance)
Composed for the opening of the newly-renovated Josefstadt Theater in Vienna, this overture has a slow introduction followed by a fugue-like fast section - similar to what Handel used to do...and it's no secret Handel was Beethoven's favorite composer in his later years.

9/27 Beethoven's "Creatures" (Ballet)

Beethoven only composed one complete ballet, "The Creatures of Prometheus".  It's the only orchestral work of his that has a harp in it, I have no idea why.  It's also his only work which has a bassett horn.  That I can understand.  Written in 1801, there's no surviving notes on the choreography but what typically happened in those days is that shorter music pieces in a "dance style" were used to accompany the stage action.  The producers weren't interested so much in large themes or any kind of symphonic development so this ballet really comes across more as a 19th century jukebox collection.  It's admittedly far from his greatest work, but it's still fascinating and is fun to listen to.  The story itself is pretty interesting.  When I first read the title "Creatures of Prometheus" I expected scenes of giant monsters fighting in volcanoes.  Not quite.

Basically Prometheus created Man, and gave Man his skills in creativity and logic, everything a civilization needs.  Zeus got jealous of these upstarts and took away Man's fire.  Prometheus stole some fire from another god and smuggled it back to Man.  Zeus later punished Prometheus with some gory animal-inflicted punishment.  So the titular characters of the ballet, the "Creatures", are actually Man!  Pretty cool (tho a bit disappointed about the lack of fire-breathng dragons).  The ballet itself portrays a man and woman being given these artistic/technological gifts and learning to play music and dance from various gods whom Prometheus introduces them to.  I think.  Who knows?

Beethoven wrote an Overture, an Introduction and 16 pieces in 2 Acts.  Most importantly the Eroica theme, used in the Finale to the Eroica 3rd Symphony as well as the Eroica Variations Op.35 (not to mention one of his German Dances WoO.14) can be found in the finale to this ballet.  According to the playbill the story goes something like this:

"...the ballet presents two animated statues who, by the power of harmony, are made susceptible to all the passions of human existence. Prometheus takes them to Parnassus, to receive instruction from Apollo, god of the arts, who commands Amphion, Arion, and Orpheus to teach them music; Melpomene and Thalia, tragedy and comedy. Terpsichore aids Pan, who introduces them to the Pastoral Dance, which he has invented, and from Bacchus they learn his invention—the Heroic Dance."

Here's a possible rundown:

Ouverture – Adagio – Allegro molto e con brio – attacca:

ACT I: Introduction. (La Tempesta) Allegro non troppo – attacca: (C Major)

    Heavy accents represent stormy nature

No 1. Poco Adagio – Allegro con brio – Poco Adagio – Allegro con brio (C Major)

    Prometheus uses fire to light the hearts of 2 statue-like humans, which slowly come to life.

No 2. Adagio – Allegro con brio (F Major)

    The humans do not "get" the fire and Prometheus gets frustrated and almost destroys these stupid creatures.

No 3. Allegro vivace (F Major)

    Prometheus gets an idea - take them to the land of the Gods!

ACT II: 

    The gods Euterpe, Amphion, Arion and a couple others play music using harp, flute, cello etc and this slowly awakens "reason" within the human pair.

    Terpsichore and Bacchus enter and engage in a "warlike" dance, which the pair participate in.

    Then Melpomene appears and the mood gets very somber.  See below:

No 4. Maestoso – Andante (D Major) (arrival in Parnassus)

No 5. Adagio – Andante quasi Allegretto (B♭ Major) (Euterpe and Amphion's duet)

No 6. Un poco Adagio – Allegro – attacca: (G Major) (Humans react with joy)

No 7. Grave – attacca: (G Major)

No 8. Marcia. Allegro con brio – Presto (D Major) (War dance)

No 9. Adagio – Adagio – Allegro molto (E♭ Major) (Melpomene)

    This is followed by Prometheus getting punched by Melpomene, the humans getting some kind of "comic masks" and then the pastorale ensues. 

No 10. Pastorale. Allegro (C Major) (rustic dance)

No 11. Coro di Gioja. Andante – attacca: (C Major) (entrance of solo dancer)

No 12. Solo di Gioja. Maestoso – Adagio – Allegro (C Major) (comic dance solo)

No 13. Terzettino - Grotteschi. Allegro – Comodo – Coda (D Major)

No 14. Solo della Signora Cassentini. Andante – Adagio – Allegro – Allegretto (F Major)

    (sinfonia concertante for basset horn and oboe)

No 15. Coro (e) Solo di Vigano. Andantino – Adagio – Allegro (B♭ Major)

No 16. Finale. Allegretto – Allegro molto – Presto (E♭ Major)

    (uses Eroica theme)

There you have it.  Though I have no idea if any of the above description helps or hinders the enjoyment of this ballet...
The Creatures of Prometheus, Op.43 (1801), I.Overture.Allegretto. Finale.
Willem Mengelberg, Orchestre du Concertgebouw d'Amsterdam, enr 01-11-1942.