What are YOU listening to now?

[william jesset]

[quote]Originally posted by Amalie:
[b]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Symphony in c minor - #5 - Op 67 - "Fate" -

Perhaps Beethoven's Landlord knocking at the door? Nicht so laut Herr Beethoven! Bitte, Nicht so laut! (( ))

Am I right in saying that the threefold knocking, as in the opening of the Beethoven's C minor Symphony is a Masonic Symbolism
for the repititious knocking on the door of the Lodge by the candidate for initiation.
Each knock representing one of the trinity of Masonic virtues, Beauty, Strength and Wisdom?

***

Listening now to Ludwig,
"Rasumovsky" Op.59/2
Tackas Quartet.

'Thus Fate knocks on the door' (Schindler)
"show your power,Fate! we are not masters of ourselves;what has been decided must be, and so be it." Beethoven Diary of 1816
Dear Amalie,
For the sake of dialoque, is not the motif 4 notes? Merely a moot point in context to the entire concept of the period concerning ones own fate and freedom-in a philosophical and musical idiom as illustrated with the heroic 5th Symphony,were identifiable but could not be made explicit. Music communicates in is own way.
As Beethoven came to terms with his 'own fate/existence though his music,in the time of revolution(French) and enlightenment.
Freedom and nature became concepts that had a symbiotic relationship; "A la nature par un ami de la liberte'(to Nature from a friend of freedom) was an intended inscription for the Monanvert pavillion circa 1796-99.
Your insight with a Freemason trinity of virtue is unique, can you elaborate further please? Did Freemason's play a part in the thinking and actions of this same period of Revolution?
Secondary topic: when Schindler asked Beethoven for a better understanding of the Piano sonata Op 31 No2. the master's answer was for Schindler to read Shakespeares "The Tempest". Vanity? or subconcious intuitivness(of it's own worth)as to his purpose of, Music for music's sake.
As like the Bards is to the human condition via Drama, it also being in the realm of the highest example of human endeavor. So did Beethoven have a need to enlighten mankind? Was he just paying the rent? Or perhaps Beethoven as Hero, to sacrifice his happiness (to forsake Love)for sake of Art/humanity?
As Beethoven himself declared to his Friend /patron Archduke Rudolph in 1819;
'Freedom and progress are the aim, in the world of art, as in the whole of great creation'.
Thank you ,Wm Jesset
Ps Dear Members, As I've said in the past I have NO control of HOW this thread will be formatted,as I submit it for your review. Please share in the content,and please,do not do disservice to yourself with petty replys concerning the format. They hurt me very much, as I only wish to be of service and not offend anyone.To view it as anything less than my inability to control anything other than MY words, the subject matter etc. it is in essence is a cheap shot at yourself, not progressive at all. As I'm a part of your experience, as you are a part of mine, I only wish to learn/speak of things noble. Not to be reminded how innoble humans can/want to be. One only need to walk on the street for that pleasure.
Its taken my live to learn civility as the
greatest heroic act I can achieve as Im not
Mozart/Beethoven/Jesus etc.Just a mortal who
for 50yrs asked "what is my purpose" and it's to be as kind and intelligent as possible.
I am you as you are me , how then may be a service to you ? I thank you for your patience.
William Jesset

[Gurn Blanston]

Yeah, so what are you listening to now? To stay on topic, as we try to do here.

I am listening to the Andante , song #14 of "The Creatures of Prometheus", Op 43. Lovely, nearly a clarinet concerto in its structure. I srongly recommend this incidental music to all, greatly underplayed. If you have only listened to the Overture, you have missed out!


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[william jesset]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Yeah, so what are you listening to now? To stay on topic, as we try to do here.

I am listening to the Andante , song #14 of "The Creatures of Prometheus", Op 43. Lovely, nearly a clarinet concerto in its structure. I srongly recommend this incidental music to all, greatly underplayed. If you have only listened to the Overture, you have missed out!

Thank You, Mr Blanston,
For your help and for reading my post,
lovely the Andante. Thank you for asking me my current favorite, Violin Concerto Op 61.
Try I as may to listen to as much New, as well as past, I'm in rapture with this selection as I return again and again. I'm just very happy to able to share with you all ,our love of Beethoven.

I must say I've been boorish in my overbearing posts , please may you understand I've been at a loss for any type of interaction that transcends the level of "what I had for lunch' Ie. thought process of the reflex. I'll be more aware in the future as to the format and to content.
Yours truly your severnt in art
William Jesset
ps any comments on my question of the previous post.

[Gurn Blanston]

WJ,
No, I don't know those answers, else I would happily share them. I have always found any putative connection between Beethoven and Freemasonry to be tenuous at best. As Freud said in another context, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar", and sometimes a 3 note knocking motif with a drop fourth note is just that. It was not the Classical way for a composer to put some great, subtle underlying meaning into his work, that was the Romantic, witness the chaos on the Wagner thread to see where that leads.
I also enjoy the Violin Concerto, it is the King of the genre.
Right now however, I step a year or so back in time from there, and it is the Sonata in f minor for Piano - #23 - Op 57 "Appassionata". C'est tout nonpariel!


------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Pastorali]

Vivaldi by night,
the dark comes bright.

A cheerful nightly session: Opera IV "La Stravaganza" - Concerti 1-6 - I Filarmonici/Alberto Martini

molto bene

[Pastorali]

Bach by day
is the other way.

Brandenburg Concertos 1-3
Orchestra Philharmonia Slavonia/Karel Brazda

[spaceray]

Haydn's symphony no 73 in D.The Hanover Band.
Didn't Joesph Haydn get kicked out of music school for cutting off the braid of the fellow in the desk ahead? I think at first they thought that Michael would be the big star.Joseph had a pretty rough few years before he found his feet again.Wasn't part of that deal with his job as music teacher,that he had to marry the boss's daughter.That marriage was doomed from the start,she didn't even like music!!

[Gurn Blanston]

Pastorali's a poet
Who would know it?
It must have been Amade
Who made him so droll today

Ah, I see you have gotten hands on Op 4, a very nice piece of work that one scarcely ever hears. Have you got 7-12 too? And those sound like they may be authentic instrument players, yes? Very nice!

Space,
Haydn in his Stress and Storm days. Yes, he paid the long price for being a joker, even from his earliest days. Somehow it must have worked out though, else he wouldn't have ended up as well as he did. There is a lesson there for all of us, I think. Hmmm.. where are my scissors?

And for me, it is the lovely Septet in Eb - Op 20 - The Nash Ensemble. I join the legions who have thought a lot more of this work than its creator did! Well, even geniuses don't always make the best critics, do they!



------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Gurn Blanston]

So, the lonely Beethovenian keeper of the flame soldiers on.

Now it is the Bagatelles of Op 33 - The multi-talented Mikhail Pletnev at the keyboard. It is a relief that there are still living pianists to keep this music alive. When I go elsewhere to discuss recordings, 90% of all performances mentioned are by dead guys. But there are still some good ones out there. Bueno!

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 07-18-2004).]

[Pastorali]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Ah, I see you have gotten hands on Op 4, a very nice piece of work that one scarcely ever hears. Have you got 7-12 too? And those sound like they may be authentic instrument players, yes? Very nice!

Gurn
It's no mentioning on the cover about authentic instruments, it's a likeable recording though. Right now I enjoy no. 7-12, a Naxos piece - Andrew Watkinson, Violin - City of London Sinfonia.
Gosh, I'd wish to have a better Naxos choice here! Happy D to you!

[Amalie]

During the course of the morning listening to the Maestro's tasty Bagatelles for Piano, Op.33

Rondo no 1. in C, Op. 51

Klavierstuck in B flat, Wo0 60


and to finish off with Beethoven's sublime Piano Sonata, Op.110

All played by (you know who), Alfred Brendel.

*
Now my husband is treating me out to lunch!


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 07-18-2004).]

[ruudp]

I listened to some GREAT beethoven today, his pianosonata op.90 in e minor and op.53 both performed by john lill, and Mozart's sonata a 4e mains for 2 pianos kv.448 performed on a fortepiano modelled after a walter 1795, and a fortepiano modelled after schanze.
Also I've been playing the 1st movement of the op.90 sonata.*playing is a big word 90% of the notes I can play correctly but the middlepassage of broken chords is as yet too much for me*..I just CAN'T believe people actually found THIS lovely piece ugly and dumb...
btw.peter..Is it just me or is the op.90 sonata technically less demanding then most of the other period works and piano works in general..

[Gurn Blanston]

P.
Yes, those are the Naxos that I have of Op 4, wonderfully played. You probably have more Naxos where you are than I do, but of course there is a whole world of it when you buy online. I know, you don't get to hold the case first and look it over... But at least you can get them.

Amalie,
Your listening today is so similar to mine of the last few days, it is almost as though there was some way you knew what I had been listening to Good stuff. Did you enjoy the Open Championship? Ayrshire can be such a forbidding place even in midsummer!

Ruud,
I really like that e minor sonata, as we discussed here a few weeks ago, I think it really marks the beginning in many ways of the Late Period. If not, you certainly can't put it in the Middle Period, so it is in Limbo then. And the 4 Hand piano things by Mozart are super too. Never heard them on a fortepiano, but they have enough substance to even stand up well to two Steinways!

For me, even so late in the day, it if finally the Symphony in d minor - This week the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra / Zinman. Excellente!


------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 07-19-2004).]

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:

Did you enjoy the Open Championship? Ayrshire can be such a forbidding place even in midsummer!

Forbidding? it looked like the moon or maybe Sudbury ,Ontario!Golf is supposed to be played on lush greens ,isn't it??

I'm listening to Handel's Esther ,1718 version,with the Orchestra of the Sixteen.
Wondering what Rod thinks of this recording?

[Amalie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
[B]P.
Yes, those are the Naxos that I have of Op 4, wonderfully played. You probably have more Naxos where you are than I do, but of course there is a whole world of it when you buy online. I know, you don't get to hold the case first and look it over... But at least you can get them.

Amalie,
Your listening today is so similar to mine of the last few days, it is almost as though there was some way you knew what I had been listening to Good stuff. Did you enjoy the Open Championship? Ayrshire can be such a forbidding place even in midsummer!
**

Gurn,
I don't know how they hit the ball up and down those mountains! Ayrshire must be about 500 miles from London, which is an immense dinstance to travel, but I appreciate it is small change as far as a Texan is concerned who would probably travel that far to whatch a Rodeo..
Do Texan's the old gun slinger's, go around the golf course on a horse? to the sound of - Ride of the Valkyries?
**

I am off to an early start this morning. I always think of you on the golf course when I listen to this Beethoven piece: Twelve variations on "See the Conquering hero comes"! Wo0 45





[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 07-19-2004).]