Beethoven’s Fugue for Quintet Op137

[Rod]

Further to my discussion of this piece in the Bach Sinfonia chain, and in celebration of my getting a new job at IBM's head office here in London right next the Royal Festival Hall, see below Beethoven’s rarely heard fugue for your listening pleasure. It is from the recently released 2 CD set ‘Beethoven String Quintets (Complete)’ Brilliant Classics 92857, Zurich String Quintet. I think there is another lovely quintet piece I heard years ago by Beethoven not in this set that is very emotional and serious, maybe it is the D minor Hess40?

Anyway back to Op137, as I said before in B’s ‘difficult’ fugue style but with a more genial and lyrical flavour. I can listen to this track over and over, though they play it a little aggressively than is strictly required, and alas no strings made from dead animals.
http://www.mysharefile.com/v/9251601/Op137.wma.html


As a further Brucie Bonus, something that will keep Robert happy, a jovial little fugue from his favourite Handel Op3 concertos, by Minkowsky and Les Musiciens du Louvre (Erato label). Another track you can play over and over.
http://www.mysharefile.com/v/2409254/Op3nr3.wma.html

Any comments welcome.

Enjoy!


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


[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-26-2006).]

[PDG]

Originally posted by Rod:


Anyway back to Op137, as I said before in B’s ‘difficult’ fugue style but with a more genial and lyrical flavour.

Enjoy!

I did enjoy. It's surprisingly light and slight given the year of composition (1817). It reminds me very much of the scherzo from the C minor Quartet, Opus 18 no. 4.

[PDG]

Originally posted by Rod:
...and alas no strings made from dead animals.

Enjoy!

And I bet it's you going around giving those lovely pandas black eyes...

[Rod]

Originally posted by PDG:
I did enjoy. It's surprisingly light and slight given the year of composition (1817). It reminds me very much of the scherzo from the C minor Quartet, Opus 18 no. 4.

Well Beethoven was never always dark and moody when you listen to his complete output, far from it.

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


[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-26-2006).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by PDG:
And I bet it's you going around giving those lovely pandas black eyes...

That's my business...

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-26-2006).]

[Nightklavier]

Thanks for sharing these Rod. That Beethoven fugue was outstanding and the Handel piece you included was just delightful.

Can I entice you to one thing? I'm curious to know which movement (not just work) from Handel is your favorite to listen to. It doesn't have to be Handel's "greatest," just something you never get tired of. If you're inclined to share it, please post a link

[Rod]

Originally posted by Nightklavier:
Thanks for sharing these Rod. That Beethoven fugue was outstanding and the Handel piece you included was just delightful.

Can I entice you to one thing? I'm curious to know which movement (not just work) from Handel is your favorite to listen to. It doesn't have to be Handel's "greatest," just something you never get tired of. If you're inclined to share it, please post a link

Well I have been posting music such as this at my Handel yahoogroup for over 3 years but not many people were interested. I'm wrapping up that site now. I can recommend these Op3 concertos and also the Op6 concertos. Of the big vocal works I could recommend dozens, but there is one particular track that always delights because it's too beautiful for words - the duet 'As steals the morn upon the night' from L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato. I've probably posted it before years ago, but watch this space.


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

[Rod]

Here you go, the duet 'As steals the morn upon the night' from L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato. Gardiner (cond), English Baroque Soloists, Patrizia Kwella (sop), Martin Davies (ten), Erato label. A lovely and tranquil piece from one of Handel's very best works:
http://www.mysharefile.com/v/9596392/L_Allegro.wma.html

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

[Nightklavier]

Thanks again Rod. That was a great piece; beautiful, serene, spellbinding.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Nightklavier:
Thanks again Rod. That was a great piece; beautiful, serene, spellbinding.

Ask and ye shall receive. I'm still waiting for Chaszz to give us something from Bach's 'Musical Offering'!

Back to Beethoven, I wish I had a recording of this other short quintet movement I heard on the radio performed as a 'prelude' to the present fugue, but I can't identify it. The music was something else and the two pieces went nicely together.

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-27-2006).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Well I have been posting music such as this at my Handel yahoogroup for over 3 years but not many people were interested. I'm wrapping up that site now. I can recommend these Op3 concertos and also the Op6 concertos. Of the big vocal works I could recommend dozens, but there is one particular track that always delights because it's too beautiful for words - the duet 'As steals the morn upon the night' from L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato. I've probably posted it before years ago, but watch this space.

Sorry to hear your Handel group is ending - it is very difficult keeping these discussion sites going, but thanks to loyal members such as yourself and many others we're somehow managing here. 'As steals the morn upon the night' is by far my favourite aria from Il Penseroso - sublimely beautiful.

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Sorry to hear your Handel group is ending - it is very difficult keeping these discussion sites going, but thanks to loyal members such as yourself and many others we're somehow managing here. 'As steals the morn upon the night' is by far my favourite aria from Il Penseroso - sublimely beautiful.

My site never really got started in the first place. Not to worry. Actually it is Il Moderato that sings 'As steals the morn'. If you are familiar with this oratorio I would say the emotional heart of the piece IS from Il Penseroso, the air 'May at last my weary age' which begins with a lonely organ prelude and afterwards leads to the almost oppresively solemn air/chorus 'These pleasures, Melancholy, give'. But the whole piece is fabulous and I certainly recommend this recording.


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

[Michael]

Originally posted by Rod:

Back to Beethoven, I wish I had a recording of this other short quintet movement I heard on the radio performed as a 'prelude' to the present fugue, but I can't identify it. The music was something else and the two pieces went nicely together.

I'm intrigued, Rod. Any idea at all what the piece is? Or is it one of these reconstructed thingys? The actual quintet fugue was written by B as a sort of added bonus to an edition of his complete works, just like the extra material you get today on DVD sets. He was ahead of his time in this, too.

Michael

[Rod]

Originally posted by Michael:

I'm intrigued, Rod. Any idea at all what the piece is? Or is it one of these reconstructed thingys? The actual quintet fugue was written by B as a sort of added bonus to an edition of his complete works, just like the extra material you get today on DVD sets. He was ahead of his time in this, too.

Michael

I am aware that this fugue was the original 'Brucie Bonus' long before Mr Forsythe coined the phrase, but if you check the Hess numbers there are more quintet pieces from Beethoven. I noticed only the description of a D minor quintet from the Hess pieces that could possibly equate to what I heard, but I know nothing about this Hess track per se.

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

[robert newman]

oops - error

RN



[This message has been edited by robert newman (edited 07-29-2006).]