At Last. The WoOs 154.

[Maurice Colgan]

The Complete Beethoven 100 CD boxset. An impulsive purchase today as an early birthday gift to meself. I deserve it. :-)

http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com

[Michael]

You won't regret it, Maurice. It's a fine set - but be careful not to overdose.



Oh, and don't forget WoO 152 and Wo153. The term Scottish, Irish and British seem to be interchangeable in some cases, because one of the songs in WoO 153 is called "The British Light Dragoons" and one in the Seven British folksongs set is called "Erin! oh Erin!". And there are numerous other anomalies.
You'll have great fun with the song arrangements!

[Maurice Colgan]

Thanks Michael, I'll be exploring the whole box in the coming weeks. :-)
There are some lovely voices on the CD number 81.

Fidelio will be next or the Appassionata, or the Violin Concerto...... or ? :-) Maybe all the stuff I have not heard would be the way to go?

[Michael]

I’m afraid you have started me off on my hobby-horse, Maurice. The folksong arrangements have long been underestimated (especially by a member of this forum whom I will not name but I am sure he will be suitably chastened by this learned post). The songs themselves are intrinsically excellent but they are raised to a new level by these arrangements.
Just dig out disc no. 84 and play the first two tracks and listen to how skilfully Beethoven uses little motifs from the tunes for his openings. Then go to disc 79 and on tracks 53 and 57 you may hear Killarney mentioned . Most of the song arrangements are in English but the singers on this set have foreign accents and sometimes it might be difficult to make out the words.
The DGG set employs English and Irish singers and it is much easier hear the lyrics especially as a 200 page booklet is also supplied.
Let me just mention one more song, disc 80, track 6, called “English Bulls” where Beethoven is having a go at a poor thick Irishman on his first visit to London:

“Next, I made for the Bank, sir, for there I was told
Were oceans of silver and mountains of gold
But I soon found this talk was mere bluster and vapour
For the gold and the silver were all made of paper

A friend took me into the Parliament house
And there sat the Speaker as mum as a mouse
For, in spite of his name, won’t you think this a joke tho’
The Speaker is he whom they all of them spoke to."

Of course, the narrator’s name is Paddy! And we can’t blame poor Beethoven – he didn’t write the words (I hope!) And all this is set to the tune of "Father o'Flynn".

[Maurice Colgan]

I must say it's lovely having such a knowledgable guide, Michael. It's going to be a lotta fun and a learning experience listening to these songs.

Thick Irishman indeed. :-)

http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com

[PDG]

I’m afraid you have started me off on my hobby-horse, Maurice. The folksong arrangements have long been underestimated (especially by a member of this forum whom I will not name but I am sure he will be suitably chastened by this learned post). The songs themselves are intrinsically excellent but they are raised to a new level by these arrangements.

Hmmm.

Michael, please be aware that I write song lyrics myself, and that 'Killarney' rhymes with 'blarney', but without a current commission I am loathe to use this particular device in a song!

On a serious note (there's always a first time), I'm interested to know why you call this fodder 'intrinsically excellent'...

[Michael]

I knew I'd get you out of the woodwork, PDG. Some of those folksongs have beautiful melodies in their own right, all composed by that greatest of all composers: "Anon."

And, indeed, in one of the songs I have mentioned above, "Killarney" does rhyme with "Blarney".

[Roehre]

I’m afraid you have started me off on my hobby-horse, Maurice. The folksong arrangements have long been underestimated (especially by a member of this forum whom I will not name but I am sure he will be suitably chastened by this learned post). The songs themselves are intrinsically excellent but they are raised to a new level by these arrangements.
Just dig out disc no. 84 and play the first two tracks and listen to how skilfully Beethoven uses little motifs from the tunes for his openings. Then go to disc 79 and on tracks 53 and 57 you may hear Killarney mentioned . Most of the song arrangements are in English but the singers on this set have foreign accents and sometimes it might be difficult to make out the words.
The DGG set employs English and Irish singers and it is much easier hear the lyrics especially as a 200 page booklet is also supplied.
Let me just mention one more song, disc 80, track 6, called “English Bulls” where Beethoven is having a go at a poor thick Irishman on his first visit to London:

“Next, I made for the Bank, sir, for there I was told
Were oceans of silver and mountains of gold
But I soon found this talk was mere bluster and vapour
For the gold and the silver were all made of paper

A friend took me into the Parliament house
And there sat the Speaker as mum as a mouse
For, in spite of his name, won’t you think this a joke tho’
The Speaker is he whom they all of them spoke to."

Of course, the narrator’s name is Paddy! And we can’t blame poor Beethoven – he didn’t write the words (I hope!) And all this is set to the tune of "Father o'Flynn".

Michael, do you know Cooper's book on the Folksong arrangements (a very valuable offspring of the Beethoven-compendium)?

[Michael]

Michael, do you know Cooper's book on the Folksong arrangements (a very valuable offspring of the Beethoven-compendium)?

Yes, but have you seen the price? I do have the Compendium and it's very useful.