Music at Beethoven's local!

[Peter]

Some taverns hired small bands to play popular opera tunes, dances and songs. Wine and beer halls featured zither music and folksingers. Zithers played all the latest tunes, but they also preserved the old landler and folk songs which were sung in Viennese dialect. There were also the Bankelsanger (part time musicians) who sang, yodelled and told stories to the accompaniments of harps and guitars - the harp was quite common in taverns played by poor minstrels.

The link below is a rarity - one of Ignaz Michael Pamer's (1782-1827) waltzes that Beethoven may well have heard (not though in this orchestral version, more likely in the popular combination of the time of 2 violins and double bass) played at a tavern he frequented - Zur Goldenen Birne. Pamer apparently, cheered on by his audience, would down a stein of the local favorite after each piece!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4qCnPvsIAE

[Megan]

How absolutely delightful Peter, thanks for posting this.
It is like what we hear even today in the Pump Rooms during lunchtime here and also in Bath.

[Peter]

For a real feel of Vienna at this time try this music sampler which has the 2 violin, double bass combination:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/r...k=007&disc=001

You're sitting in a tavern in the 1820's with a rather grumpy looking old man opposite who just happens to be Beethoven - then a rowdy group enter, amongst them a young man with glasses, Franz Schubert - another beer please, cheers!