What Are You Listening To Now?

[PDG]

Originally posted by Hofrat:

Dear PDG;

There is nothing wrong with a two movement sonata. Beethoven composed them earlier in his career. We have his piano sonatas opus 49/1, opus 49/2, and opus 54. And we have his piano and 'cello sonatas opus 5/1 and opus 5/2. All of these works are two movements and totally complete.


Hofrat

Of course there's nothing wrong with the format(!); I'm just curious as to why such a large scale work was left the way it was. Opp.49 were very slight sonatas by comparison, the underrated Op.54, Op.78 & Op.90 far less so, and the cello sonatas, Op.5 are quasi-three movement works, both starting their opening allegros with substantial slow passages.

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by PDG:
Of course there's nothing wrong with the format(!); I'm just curious as to why such a large scale work was left the way it was. Opp.49 were very slight sonatas by comparison, the underrated Op.54, Op.78 & Op.90 far less so, and the cello sonatas, Op.5 are quasi-three movement works, both starting their opening allegros with substantial slow passages.

Dear PGD;

Interesting to note here that Beethoven did not write a "proper" slow movement in his sonatas for piano and 'cello until the 5th (and last) sonata!


Hofrat

[Sorrano]

Tonight listened to the 7th and 8th Symphonies of Beethoven (including the Coriolan and Egmont Overtures) as performed by Norrington and his orchestra. The Egmont stood out to me in terms of performace; I thought it was quite dynamic, even more so than the Hanover Band's performance. I enjoyed the Symphonies.

[robert newman]

More music by the phenomenally gifted Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) - his 'Lamentations Jeremiae Prophetae', written for Dresden around 1740.

This composer must surely be ranked with the greatest composers of his time, equal in status (certainly as far as church music is concerned) to that by JS Bach. It's easy to see why Bach himself is known to have rated this Catholic composer so highly himself.

[Alan Hoffman]

Greetings to all, as a newcomer to the Board.

In addition to the mighty 9th (my five year old son's favorite), I've been listening lately to three deeply moving works: Medelssohn's Scottish Symphony (the Third), with its echoes of Beethoven's 7th (first movement) but mostly with absolutely wonderful instrumental lines; Sibelius's 2nd Symphony, with its daring and glorious fourth movement; and one of the dear loves of my life, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, surely one of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century, and among the most compelling works I know. For those on this board who are scared of Shostakovich, this is a very accessible work if you just give it a few listens and allow it to unfold.

[Joy]

Welcome Alan! I agree with you about Shostakovich 5th and I particularly like Mendelssohn's 3rd also.
AS for me, to night on NPR their will be Antonio Salieri. "Salieri held the highest court position in the most powerful dynasty in Europe, and he was revered and respected. But history has not treated him kindly". The Luxembourg Philharmonic will play Salieri's Sinfonia to his opera Falstaff, in Luxembourg's Grand Auditorium at the Philharmonie. Hubert Soudant conducts.
Also
Mozart's violin concertos.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[paulverv]

Originally posted by PDG:
I'm not saying there could have been a (another!) slow movement, rather just a "middle" movement. Of course you're right about the "completeness" of his major works as they were intended to stand, but Op.111 is by far his most substantial work with just two movements. The other works you mention all have at least three.

My answer to the riddle is this: there are three movements; Opus 109, first movement; Opus 110, second movement; Opus 111, third movement.
pv

[DavidO]

Currently listening to the entire set of Beethoven piano sonatas by Claude Frank, as well as Elliott Carter's Symphony No. 1, "Elegy" & Piano Concerto.

[paulverv]

Originally posted by DavidO:
Currently listening to the entire set of Beethoven piano sonatas by Claude Frank, as well as Elliott Carter's Symphony No. 1, "Elegy" & Piano Concerto.

I don't know Frank. Is he any good?

[Joy]

Claude Frank plays the music on all of my Classical Music lectures on tape which I have through The Teaching Company with Robert Greenberg as the Professor. He's marvelous and Professor Greenberg highly recommends him.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Hofrat]

Joachim Raff
Symphony 10 "To Autumn"

I just can not get enough of Raff. And apparently, neither could Tchaikovski who stole a theme for his 5th symphony from the Raff 10th.


Hofrat

[Joy]

Today it will be Garrick Ohlsson playing Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 7.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[robert newman]

The hugely neglected but wonderful Violin Concerto of Robert Schumann.

This work virtually disappeared throughout the 19th century and is only slowly being appreciated. It really is beautiful. Like so much of this truly great composer.

[Chaseing33rd]

Die schone Mullerin with Fritz Wunderlich and Hubet Giesen.

Lovely remastering of an old recording.

[HaydnFan]

Schubert's wonderful final piano sonata played by the equally wonderful Leif Ove Andsnes.