Beethoven Angry?

[spaceray]

Just what was it that made Beethoven so annoyed with Hummel's arrangement of the finale of Symphony No.3 in E flat Major? Mocheles says Beethoven tore the music to shreds in disgust.

[Amalie]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Just what was it that made Beethoven so annoyed with Hummel's arrangement of the finale of Symphony No.3 in E flat Major? Mocheles says Beethoven tore the music to shreds in disgust.

Typical great Beethovenian fashion and who can blame him.


Space,
Here are some notes I have found which I hope you will find helpful.

Hummel inserted several allusions to the 'Eroica' symphony in his Clarinet Quartet of 1808, apparently in a satirical vein, while Beethoven supposedly had an amorous interest in in Hummel's wife Elizabeth and sometimes failed to hide his opinion of Hummel's abilities - notably when he tore up Hummel's four-hand arrangements of his overture to Fidelio and gave the task to Moscheles.

The root of the problem, of course, was that Hummel and Beethoven were the main Viennese protagonists in the debate that developed in German-speaking countries in the early 19th century between conservative and progressive composers; between those who were content to develop the Classical musical language within its established forms, and those who felt that the style of Mozart and Haydn had outlived its usefulness and needed reforming root and branch.


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~ Courage, so it be righteous, will gain all things ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 02-20-2005).]

[spaceray]

So,nothing to do with the "Eroica" then.

Thayer mentions that Beethoven wouldn't be comfortable "dicarding ,correcting ,making suggestions if the work were done by Hummel,as when performed by a young man like Mocheles."

I'm not sure I understand if Beethoven asked Hummel for the four hand arrangment of Fidelio ,didn't like it for whatever reason and tore it up and handed the job to Moscheles,or is this just the way Shindler remembers it?