A Vienna experience!

[Peter]

Many of you here I'm sure will be fascinated to read about my recent trip to Vienna.

For an account of this see www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/viennatrip.html


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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited August 27, 2003).]

[Andrea]

It was not a dream, Peter, and you were not having a Bobby Ewing flashback.

I enjoyed showing you and Bernard around my Vienna even though it was so damn hot and humid. It's a good thing that you aren't here today because it's going to be in the 100s and with the humidity it'll feel like it's 120!!!

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:

Then I headed back to my hotel and freshened up before the marathon 5 hour concert at the Theater an der Wien - a recreation of the famous Dec 22nd 1808 concert. It was an incredibly moving and powerful experience - Pastoral Symphony, Ah Perfido, Gloria from C major mass, 4th piano concerto, 5th symphony, Sanctus and Benedictus from the mass, an improvisation in the style of Beethoven (based on themes suggested by the audience), and the Choral fantasy - all on period instruments which made the whole thing even more realistic

Sounds like a fantastic concert. What did you think of the fortepiano?!

I wish I had a guide when I got lost for over half an hour in the Cemetary!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Sounds like a fantastic concert. What did you think of the fortepiano?!

I wish I had a guide when I got lost for over half an hour in the Cemetary!

I was impressed, even the softest passages were audible in the top gallery where I was seated. We even had the piano accompany the orchestral tuttis as in the original score. However quite typical with the authentic movement, the cadenzas were not Beethoven's, but by the pianist Robert Levin - Beethoven's cadenzas for the concertos were probably written only a few weeks after the December concert and would have been more genuine than those of Levin.

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I was impressed, even the softest passages were audible in the top gallery where I was seated. We even had the piano accompany the orchestral tuttis as in the original score.

In the cheap seats again Peter!? When I first mentioned years back about the piano playing during the tuttis being in the scores, I recall this was not generally believed!

Originally posted by Peter:

However quite typical with the authentic movement, the cadenzas were not Beethoven's, but by the pianist Robert Levin - Beethoven's cadenzas for the concertos were probably written only a few weeks after the December concert and would have been more genuine than those of Levin.

Well, as you know Beethoven's cadenzas for concertos 1 and 2 go beyond the keyboard span of the 5 octave piano, as they were composed at a later time. Hence in this circumstance one can never bee 100% authentic. However I would prefer to have a larger fortepiano used than Levin's cadenzas. My recording of 1 & 2 by Immerseel does not have B's cadenzas either as a 5 octave Walter is used.

However if the 4th concerto was being performed at the concert I presume the fortepiano used could have accommodated B's cadenzas for no 4.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited August 13, 2003).]

[Grillparzer]

Mr. Peter,
This sounds like a tremendous experience. Thank you for the graphic description, one almost felt like one could have been there with you! Tell me, was the concert your main impetus for going at this time, or was it serendipity that it should happen then? What a wonderful opportunity!


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Adieu,
Franz

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[Peter]

Originally posted by Grillparzer:
Mr. Peter,
This sounds like a tremendous experience. Thank you for the graphic description, one almost felt like one could have been there with you! Tell me, was the concert your main impetus for going at this time, or was it serendipity that it should happen then? What a wonderful opportunity!

Yes the concert was the main impetus for going - who knows perhaps they'll do it again in Dec 22nd 2008 to mark the 200th anniversary. At any rate I'm sure I won't leave it so long again before going back to beautiful Vienna!

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'Man know thyself'

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:

However if the 4th concerto was being performed at the concert I presume the fortepiano used could have accommodated B's cadenzas for no 4.

Exactly, and who knows since Beethoven actually wrote out those cadenzas for the 4th a few weeks later, he probably also played them at the December 22nd concert.

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'Man know thyself'

[Chris]

Sounds like a great trip, Peter!

By the way, I did get your e-mail, but for some reason, my mail server would not let me send a reply. Weird...

[Chaszz]

Congratulations on fulfilling what must have been a long-cherished dream, Peter.

Did you by chance visit any of the woods or forest areas?

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited August 14, 2003).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Congratulations on fulfilling what must have been a long-cherished dream, Peter.

Did you by chance visit any of the woods or forest areas?

Afraid not as I was only there a few days and had too much to cram in - there's certainly plenty still to see next time I go back!

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

That's what I would like to do is walk through the woods there as Charles suggested and be in the isolation with nature and ponder Beethoven and his music. Too bad, Peter, I had to decline your generous invitation of joining this group but I did have previous commitments.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Joy:
Too bad, Peter, I had to decline your generous invitation of joining this group but I did have previous commitments.

Looks like the only person who wasn't invited was me!


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Looks like the only person who wasn't invited was me!

Looks like the only one who didn't read Bernard's thread back in June was you!

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Looks like the only one who didn't read Bernard's thread back in June was you!

Looks like I didn't!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin