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:

7/15 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.

7/11 Tchaikovsky's Beethoven

© All Rights Reserved by MikeBarnett

Having posted previously about composers "rewriting Beethoven" (Bartok, Rachmaninoff, Hindemith, Liszt), I submit Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to the list...courtesy of quarrion100:
"One of his student orchestrations, Tchaikovsky scored Beethoven's famous violin sonata up to the end of the exposition of the first movement. There apparently is a recording of this on the Melodiya label, but I have not been able to acquire it yet. The current performance was made using the Garritan Personal Orchestra."
 
"Kreutzer" Violin Sonata (excerpt) (orch. Tchaikovsky) (1863-4): 
"Roll over Beethoven, And tell Tchaikovsky the news"
Created by quarrion100.

Link

7/8 Clockwork and a Calendar

From a "Beethoven Calendar"

Remix time...
Marc Heatley: Created as part of Sound Affairs' 2008 "Ludwig" tour - "A tribute to Beethoven in music and film."  I was asked to create original work in response to the music. This piece (to accompany the Orlando Gough composition "Dead White European Male") is based on David Pelham's iconic 1972 Penguin cover to the Anthony Burgess' classic "A Clockwork Orange".
"Dead White European Male" (Symphony 7 Allegretto remix)

Link


Coriolan Overture (Dance Style)
(wykonanie Krashgul)

Link

If 1907 comes around again this will be handy:

A Beethoven Kalendar from 1907...

7/5 Jonathan Grows Up

The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin

Jonathan

A while ago I did a post on young and exciting talents and one of the people I mentioned was Jonathan (Okseniuk), who did an AMAZING job conducting Beethoven's final movement to the 5th Symphony. You can see the video HERE.

Since then, Jonathan has skyrocketed in internet fame and even attracted the attention of a real conductor who had him conduct a chamber symphony arrangement of B.'s String Quartet #4, Op.18, No.4.  Here's a short video feature on this amazing little guy.

Link

Another view of the performance can be seen here. Meanwhile back at home Jonathan is still conducting Symphony 6!

The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin can be seen below (with it's regular conductor, Misha Rachlevsky) performing the complete orchestrated string arrangement.
Pt 1-4: String Quartet #4, Op.18, No.4
Pt 5, 6:  String Quartet Op.131
Pt 7-10" String Quartet #4, Op.18, No.4 (alternate performance)

Linklist

6/30 The Eroica Without a Net

Persimfans is one of the few orchestras which perform without a conductor. Judging from a short video documentary about them (link at bottom) they apparently do a good deal of modern, avant-theatrical repertoire.  However in this video they perform Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, the ever-inspiring "Eroica".

I really like the fact that (here at least) they play in a circle facing inwards.  Somehow it reminds me of a campfire jamboree... I believe B. would have approved of this kind of unusual "communal" music-making.

From Youtube:
PERSIMFANS is a symphony conductorless ensemble organized in Moscow by the Music Laboratory of the School of Dramatic Art Theatre in early 2008. Originally PERvyi SIMFonicheskiy ANSambl bez dirizhera (an abbreviation for The First Conductorless Symphony Ensemble) was founded by the violinist Lev Ceitlin in 1922 right after the Civil War. The first Soviet years were marked by collectivist utopia that in the case of PerSimfAns revealed itself in the idea of providing all its members (up to 150 musicians) with the self-managing authority free from baton/scepter despotism, demonstrating, as Nicholas Slonimsky once wrote, that "in a proletarian state orchestra men do not need a musical dictator". PerSimfAns was striving to make familiar the new-born proletariat with the classical and modern pieces, arranging concerts virtually anywhere: concert halls, working clubs and factories, reaching the widest possible audience, inspiring dozens of imitators in other Soviet cities as well as in Paris, Leipzig and New York and wining worldwide acclaim from such collaborators as Prokofiev, Milhaud, Myaskovsky, Zecchi, Petri etc., including even Klemperer. In 1933 despite its lasting fame the ensemble was forced to halt its activity, thus indicating the end of pure socialist idealism and anticipating total dictatorship of Stalinist regime.

As back in the 1920s, today PerSimfAns consists of the highly acclaimed orchestras members and Moscow conservatory teachers, however nowadays its concerts include not exclusively conductorless performance of symphonic pieces, but the reconstruction of the original noise-ensembles adjusted to their authentic repertoire, ballet troupe staging a forgotten Prokofiev "Trapèze" ballet , litmontage, documentary video montage etc. PerSimfAns brings into public focus rare musical pieces (i.e. "First Concert" by A. Mossolov (1927), "Metal March" by G. Lobachev (1928), "On the Dneprostroi" by J. Meituss (1932), "Intégrations" by I. Wyschnegradsky (1969) etc.) as well as bizarre versions of the famous ones (i.e. "Die Zauberflöte Overture" (Soviet edition for cinemas, clubs and variety from 1930) or even compositions by the contemporary composers (such as Pavel Karmanov or "Vezhlivyi Otkaz" (The Polite Denial) rock-band). In 2010 PerSimfAns is planning to perform Beethovens "Third Symphony", one of the symbolic landmarks in the early Soviet repertoire."

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

Linklist

PERSIMFANS PROMO (documentary)

6/28 Violin Concerto 3rd Movement (Chee-Yun Kim)

Chee-Yun

I usually make it a rule not to post a work unless all the movements are available (or at the very least the 1st movement) so when I came across a performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto Op.61 which was missing the 1st movement I hadn't planned on posting about it - but after watching I was so impressed with this performance I decided that just the 3rd movement alone was worth featuring.  The featured violinist, Chee-Yun Kim, has a great tone and articulation and the orchestra give a committed reading.  Apparently she's also appeared on TV on a show called "Curb Your Enthusiasm"...

Allmusic: "The second movement takes a place among the most serene music Beethoven ever produced. Free from the dramatic unrest of the first movement, the second is marked by a tranquil, organic lyricism. Toward the end, an abrupt orchestral outburst leads into a cadenza, which in turn takes the work directly into the final movement. The genial Rondo, marked by a folk-like robustness and dancelike energy, makes some of the work's more virtuosic demands on the soloist."

Violin Concerto Op.61 in D, 3rd Movement:

Link

The 2nd movement can be found HERE.

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

6/13 Organ Overture

I previously did a blog post featuring pretty much all of Beethoven's epic and wonderful overtures so there's no point in bringing them up again - unless it's the Egmont played on an organ...

Egmont Overture, Op.84
Xaver Varnus lays the Budapest Synagogue 2004.

Link

...or the Coriolan by a brass ensemble...
Coriolan Overture, Op.62
Transcribed by Michel Nowak
Harmonie Municipale d'Avion sous la direction de Luc Delozien

 Link

or Egmont by a brass ensemble...
Egmont Overture, Op.84
live In Arouca Portugal December 2007

Link

6/12 Dudamel on Beethoven's 9th

Gustavo Dudamel's inaugural concert as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This performance took place at the Hollywood Bowl.  Rockin'.

Symphony No.9 in D minor, op.125 (1824)
Pt 1-2: I. Allegro ma non troppo e un poco maestoso (starts at 1:50)
Pt 3-5: II. Molto vivace
Pt 6-7: III. Adagio molto e cantabile
Pt 8: IV. Presto / Allegro Assai (Annoyingly, video goes off-sync from sound, just close your eyes and listen...)

Linklist (1hr 45 min)

6/10 Nota Profana's Beethoven

One of the most "gothic-metal" interpretations of Beethoven's Allegretto from the7th Symphony must be Nota Fortuna's arrangement with vocalist Gaby Koss singing some original (I think) lyrics....  It's an interesting mix of chamber strings with electric guitar and drums.  Now if only Ms. Koss would do arrangements like this of the song lieder!


Link

Another more traditional arrangement of Beethoven with "new" lyrics would be "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" with text by Henry van Dyke using musical themes from the 9th Symphony Ode to Joy.
The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra and University of Santo Tomas Singers Alumni, conducted by Robert Shroder, perform Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee by Beethoven, arranged by Fr. Manuel Maramba, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California.

Link
The text for this version can be found 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

6/1 Röder's Electro-Acoustic Beethoven Cadenza

As someone with a background in electro-acoustic music, I was quite excited to hear about this project: pianist Seda Röder performs an original piano-&-electronics cadenza as part of a performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical that it could work - but I can honestly say Ms. Röder pulled it off beautifully!  The trill going into the "modern" section was a stroke of brilliance.

From the video description:
In this video, New Music Pianist Seda Röder improvises the first-ever electro-acoustic cadenza for a classical concerto! Röder, who specializes on bringing contemporary music to new audiences, says that "the public at Beethoven's time would expect the soloist to improvise in the cadenzas. I wanted to do the same, but in a style that is my own and entirely modern." To turn this vision into reality, Seda worked together with Mexican composer Edgar Barroso who provided her with an electro-acoustic framework that she could use for her improvisations. When Röder was approached by Harvard conductor Hanjay Wang with the suggestion to perform with the orchestra of the Harvard-Radcliffe Chinese Students Association, the unusual idea finally came to life!  Please visit the artist's website to find out more about this very special project: http://www.sedaroeder.com/blackbox-011/
Seda Röder improvizes first-ever electro-acoustic cadenza for a classical concerto
Piano Concerto 5 Cadenza by Seda Röder and Edgar Barroso

Link

5/30 Orchestrated Pathetique

As readers of The Daily Beethoven should know by now, I'm a sucker for orchestral arrangements of chamber and solo works - and apparently Lenny Bernstein and Leopold Stokowski (among many others) also felt the same way.  So when I came across this string orchestra version of the Pathetique Sonata - well, I was delighted.  It's not uncommon to find alternate versions of the 2nd movement Adagio Cantabile, but this group does the 1st Movement Allegro Di Molto E Con Brio....

Beethoven's piano sonata "Pathetique" arranged for string orchestra by cellist, Leo Soeda. Cocoro Strings (formerly known as Kokolo Ensemble) is a conductorless string orchestra. This was our debut concert that took place at Judson Memorial Church in NYC on 8/30/07.

Link

Here's a version of the 3rd movement that is obviously sequenced and not live, but it's still interesting to hear someone (besides myself) create some original arrangements of B.'s works digitally....

Pathetique (Orchestral Version) - Beethoven

5/11 Beethoven's First Violin Romance

(www.artbydoe.com)

Even though the Violin Romance in F (Op. 50) has a later opus number (and "Romance number") than the Romance in G (Opus 40), it was actually written much earlier - but not published immediately.

From Allmusic:

As he would for his Romance in G, Beethoven chose a two-episode rondo format (A,B,A,C,A, coda) for the brief, lyrical Romance in F. The rondo section (A) features an antecedent-consequent theme (we just talked about this yesterday) performed first by the soloist, with orchestral string accompaniment, then by the entire orchestra. The melody itself is highly decorated, with numerous trills, turns and grace notes. A forceful, dotted-rhythm figure that closes each appearance of the rondo acts as a transition to the ensuing episode. Episode B maintains the lyric character of the rondo theme, adding large, dramatic leaps followed by descending scales and arpeggios. A glimpse of F minor precedes a literal return to the rondo, this time performed with a lighter accompaniment. The minor mode at the end of episode B proves to be portentous, as episode C begins in the tonic minor. Beethoven makes full use of the "flat" key area by presenting the rondo theme on D flat major, initiating an extended transition back to F major for the final return of the rondo theme. The coda, while never venturing from the tonic, acts as something of a summation when the soloist borrows the triplet motion prominent in episode C and performs a dramatic, trilled figure from the end of episode B.

Usually recorded by solo violin and orchestra, here we have the arrangement for violin and piano:
Romance for Violin and Orchestra 2 in F, Op.50 (1798) 
(Violin, Louise Chisson. Piano, Tamara Atschba.)
Here are the approximate start times for each of the sections, which should help alot with the above rundown:
A - 0:05
B - 1:38
A - 3:11
C - 4:39
A - 6:14
Coda - 7:02

http://youtu.be/CjYRHKPqNc0

The "traditional" version (as originally composed for violin and orchestra) is here performed by Ann Fontanella. Anne's a fantastic violinist and her annotations are quite wonderful as well.

http://youtu.be/x78oYxrbOVk

5/9 A Hammerklavier-Inspired Harp Concerto

Ancient Harp from Ur

A while ago I featured Felix Weingartner's orchestrated version of the Hammerklavier piano sonata. Recently I came across a "harp concerto" arrangement of the slow 3rd movement arranged by Boris Tishchenko. The harp is an instrument Beethoven rarely wrote for (The Creatures of Prometheus ballet being a notable occasion) but this arrangement gives an idea of what a Beethoven harp concerto might have sounded like had he completed one.  The harp texture in the more energetic section gives the piece a momentary "gypsy" feel....

I put together a playlist below featuring the above-mentioned Tishchenko harp and string orchestra arrangement followed by some other harp-arrangements of B.'s works for good measure.
Pt 1-2: Lamento for harp and string orchestra (Arr. of LvB Hammerklavier 3rd Movement)
Pt 3-4: Serenade Op.25 for Flute, Violin and Harp
Pt.5: Moonlight Sonata 1st Movement (on harp)
Pt.6: Pathetique Sonata 2nd Movement (on harp)
Pt.7: Fur Elise (on harp)
Pt.8: Sonatina in G major 2nd Mvmt (Romance) (Anh. 5) (on harp)

Linklist

5/7 Beethoven 2 & 3 with Jansons & Dudamel

(Gustavo Dudamel taking flight)

Symphonies 2 and 3 really ushered in the new age of modern music in my opinion. Symphony 2 is a breakneck whirlwind of dynamic 'avant-garde' energy - Symphony 3 takes that energy and makes it Shakespearean, yet still primordial...

Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 36
Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons, conductor
Recorded at Herkulessaal, Residenz München, 2007

Symphony 2 (Jansons)

This Symphony 3 "Eroica" is with wunderkind Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.  At the end I added a few interview/rehearsal clips...

Symphony 3 (Dudamel)

5/5 Wrapping Up ScoreVideos

Here's the last of the ScoreVideo posts...this one covers everything not previously covered in piano sonatas, symphonies (in full score and in piano reductions) and chamber works. I'm going to try and keep these ScoreVideo playlists updated as long as I can (or at least for a few more weeks..?).

As this blog is as much a project for self-education as it is anything else, I've definitely gotten better at score-reading through following these videos, so I hope this has helped my readers as well...

Rondo Op. 51, No. 1 
Jenö Jandó, piano

Piano Works:

• 12 Minuets (Jando)
• Rondo a Capriccio Op.129 "Rage over a Lost Penny" (Jando)
• Rondo in A (Jando)
• Rondo Op.51 No1, 2 (Jando)
• Andante Favori, WoO.57 (Jando)
• Symphony 7, Piano Arr by Franz Liszt (Howard)
• Bagatelle Op.33, No.1, 7 
• Fur Elise
• Diabelli Variations (Sokolov)
• Ecossaise WoO.83 (Gyorgy)
• Symphony 9, 4th Mvmt, Piano Arr by Franz Liszt (Katsaris) 
• Fantasia Op. 77(Ciani)
• Sonatina WoO.50 (Brautigam)
• Bagatelle "Lustig - Traurig" WoO.54 (Cascioli)
• Prelude WoO.55 (Cascioli)
• Minuet WoO.82
• Bagatelle Op.126, No.3 (Biss)
• Kurfürstensonaten WoO.47 M1, M2
• Bagatelle in F (Last work?)
• Piano Concerto 1, Op.15
  

11 Piano Bagatelles, Op. 119 (Brendel)
6 Piano Bagatelles Op.126 (Brendel)
Eroica Variations for Piano (Kempff) Op.35 w Manuscript

Symphony 6 Op.68 (Boult) w Manuscript

Overtures in Full Score

• Coriolan, Op.62
• Egmont, Op.84
• Leonore II, Op.72a
• Wellington's Siege, Op.91
• Choral Fantasia Op.80
• King Stephen
• Ruins of Athens

5/4 Why Einstein Didn't Like Beethoven (Except the Missa Solemnis)

Even though it was recently revealed to me that Stephen Hawking is a big Beethoven fan, apparently another icon of 20th century genius felt differently. Albert Einstein was an actual musician and played the violin (tho not extremely well) and as seen below he much preferred Bach and Mozart...however...

After his colleagues updated the music system they had given him five years earlier, Einstein began repeatedly to play an RCA recording of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. It was an unusual choice for two reasons. He tended to regard Beethoven, who was not his favorite composer, as “too personal, almost naked.” Also, his religious instincts did not usually include these sorts of trappings. “I am a deeply religious nonbeliever,” he noted to a friend who had sent him birthday greetings. “This is a somewhat new kind of religion.”

- From Walter Isaacson’s Einstein: His Life and Universe (Simon and Schuster, 2007)

From "Albert Einstein, the Human Side: New Glimpses from His Archives"

Responses to a questionnaire. Though the questionnaire itself appears to have been lost, "...the questions on it can be inferred more or less from Einstein's responses..."

(1) Bach, Mozart, and some old Italian and English composers are my favorites in music. Beethoven considerably less -- but certainly Schubert.

(2) It is impossible for me to say whether Bach or Mozart means more to me. In music I do not look for logic. I am quite intuitive on the whole and know no theories. I never like a work if I cannot intuitively grasp its inner unity (architecture).

(3) I always feel that Handel is good -- even perfect -- but that he has a certain shallowness. Beethoven is for me too dramatic and too personal.

(4) Schubert is one of my favorites because of his superlative ability to express emotion and his enormous powers of melodic invention. But in his larger works I am disturbed by a certain lack of architectonics [German: "Architektonik"].

(5) Schumann is attractive to me in his smaller works because of their originality and richness of feeling, but his lack of formal greatness prevents my full enjoyment. In Mendelssohn I perceive considerable talent but an indefinable lack of depth that often leads to banality.

(6) I find a few lieder and chamber works by Brahms truly signficant, also in their structure. But most of his works have for me no inner persuasiveness. I do not understand why it was necessary to write them.

(7) I admire Wagner's inventiveness, but I see his lack of architectural structure as decadence. Moreover, to me his musical personality is indescribably offensive so that for the most part I can listen to him only with disgust.

(8) I feel that [Richard] Strauss is gifted, but without inner truth and concerned only with outside effects. I cannot say that I care nothing for modern music in general. I feel that Debussy is delicately colorful but shows a poverty of structure. I cannot work up great enthusiasm for something of that sort.

(from Albert Einstein's Taste in Music (on Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, et al.))

Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123 (1823)
Luba Orgonasova, soprano, Catherine Robbin, mezzo-soprano, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor, Alastair Miles, bass
NDR-Chor / Monteverdi Choir / NDR Sinfonieorchester / John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Recorded at Marienkirche Lübeck, 1994

Linklist (71 min)

5/3 Symphonies 2, 4 and 5 Analyzed/Annotated

As a fan of visually-aided analyses of Beethoven's music, I'm really impressed by Youtuber corksmusic1 for his annotated videos. His interpretations are generally very entertaining, and though sometimes the text flashes by really fast, the message and structure comes through quite nicely.

Here's a collection of his analyses up till now...
Pt. 1-4: Symphony 4 (MI, III, IV) (Noseda, BBC Phil)
Pt. 5-8: Symphony 5 (Llewellyn, BBC Symphony)
Pt. 9-10: 6 Piano Bagatelles Op.126 (Piano Ashley Wass)
Pt. 11-12: Cello Sonata 4 Op.102/1 (Peter Frankl (piano) / Frans Helmerson (cello))
Pt. 13-18: Symphony 2 (Harmonieband conducted by Charles Hazlewood)
Pt. 19: String Quartet Op.95 "Serioso" MI (Endellion Quartet)


Linklist (132 min)