Cenotaph Puzzle
Hello again all! Well, having just listened to all 135 hours of BBC Radio 3's Beethoven Experience I am still completely in the dark regarding the identity of the so-called "Funeral March in B flat" which is played every year at the Rememberance Day Cenotaph Service (2nd Sunday in November). I am sure it was not played during the Experience. It is neither the Eroica March nor the Op.26 March. It is not one of the Equali, WoO.30. But it does sound like a Beethoven work, so, what is it? Anyone? Please??!!
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Hi, PDG,
Nice to see you back again! According to some queries on the Beethoven Experience Website, the piece is probably not by B at all but someone called J. H. Walch. It is listed on the Unheard Beethoven as Anh. 13. That's if I'm on the right subject??? Is it played by the Grenadier Guards?
Michael -
Thanks, Michael. Good to speak to you again too, my friend!! I spent so much time listening to, editing, analysing and considering Radio 3's Experience, I didn't have much time left for the message board, unfortunately. But I take your word as being good, as ever! Funnily enough, now the piece is being offered as possibly unauthentic, it no longer sounds Beethovenian in my mind! It has drifted from beneath the magical umbrella. And who needs an umbrella in this weather? What? Eh? Huh?....... Anyway, I'll keep you on your toes just before the next Cenotaph, and ask you to listen to the service. The piece is always played immediately following the two minutes' silence. Regards, Peter.Comment
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Yes welcome back and congratulations on your amazing feat of listening to the whole 135 hours!
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'Man know thyself''Man know thyself'Comment
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This Funeral March can be from Beethoven's "Leonore Prohaska" , but I am not sure...Comment
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No that is the orchestral version of the march from the piano sonata op.26 transposed from Ab minor to B minor.Originally posted by Ludwig:
This Funeral March can be from Beethoven's "Leonore Prohaska" , but I am not sure...
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'Man know thyself''Man know thyself'Comment
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The matter of the Cenotaph "Funeral March" was raised on the Radio 3 Beethoven Experience messageboard. I emailed the DoM of the Grenadiers, who gave me some information, and passed the query on to the Chairman of the IMMS. The "official" answer is the there are three "Beethoven" Funeral Marches.
No 1 is the one which is played every year at the Cenotaph and is now generally attributed to a German Kapellmeister, JH Walch, who was commissioned to compose it for the funeral in 1820 of General Karl von Schwartzenberg. I believe it's catalogued as WoO Anh. 13.
No 2 is adapted from the 2nd movement of the piano sonata Op 26. The mystery now is the third one and no one seems to know what that is. If anyone wants to take a look at the score I have a copy and can be contacted via the "Friends of Radio 3" website.Comment
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Hey PDG welcome back!!!! *hugs* That is awsome you get the listen the Beethoven Experience! Yippee Right on!!!Comment
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Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major: "Funeral March"; third movement arranged for "Leonore Prohaska" WoO 96Comment
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I don't know about this occasion, but I did hear the guards play Beethoven's march from Op.26 as they passed the Cenotaph during the Queen Mother's funeral prosession. This arrangement had a great impact, very stark and moving. The band performed a number of other pieces durign the prosession but none had the same effect as B's march. Easily the best thing they played.Originally posted by PDG:
Hello again all! Well, having just listened to all 135 hours of BBC Radio 3's Beethoven Experience I am still completely in the dark regarding the identity of the so-called "Funeral March in B flat" which is played every year at the Rememberance Day Cenotaph Service (2nd Sunday in November). I am sure it was not played during the Experience. It is neither the Eroica March nor the Op.26 March. It is not one of the Equali, WoO.30. But it does sound like a Beethoven work, so, what is it? Anyone? Please??!!
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod CorkinComment
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It is most definitely the "Funeral march by W.H. Walch, attrib. Beethoven", Kinsky Anhang 13. A nice recording was made by Central Band of the RAF / Wng Cdr R.E.C. Davies as far back as 1971.Originally posted by PDG View Post
This performance has been re-issued a couple of times, a.o. as The Official British legion Classical Album on EMI.
I've seen it also as The Royal British legion - VE Day - Celebrating 50 years of peace in Europe.Comment
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Thanks, Roehre (how do you pronounce that?!).
I figured all this out a few years back, but the question remains as to why the BBC still insists on referring to it as a Beethoven march, during every Remembrance Sunday broadcast...
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Yes this topic has surfaced over the years in different guises:Originally posted by Roehre View Post
http://www.gyrix.com/forums/showthre...=funeral+march'Man know thyself'Comment
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