Rare Beethoven works revisited - Op.77

[Peter]

Piano Fantasy in G minor (Op.77) 1809 This time a rare performance as well by Schnabel.

As a pianist Beethoven was appreciated most of all for his improvisations, and his sometimes rather wild and intense fantasies could move his audience to tears. Josef Gelinek, a Bohemian priest, was a great virtuoso who enjoyed the favour of the aristocracy. After being 'beaten' by Beethoven at a competition of piano improvisation, he said 'He is not a man, but a devil. His improvisations are the most amazing thing I have ever heard.'

Carl Czerny called the Fantasy Op.77, dating from 1809, wholly characteristic of Beethoven's improvisational style. The work starts of in G-minor, ends in B-major and goes through all kinds of passion with pathetic recitatives and lovely melodies succeeded by gay passages and a goblin-like presto. A peculiar piece of music which gives a fascinating insight into the way Beethoven created his piano works. The piece was published in 1810 by Breitkopf and Hartel, dedicated to Count Franz von Brunsvick.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chkpb7bp-fM[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Yes, a very exciting piece. Not something I like to listen to all the time, but I love to come back to it every once in a while so that it seems fresh again, like an improvisation would be.

I have never heard this recording by Schnabel. A thrilling performance, so thanks for that, Peter.

[Peter]

Yes, a very exciting piece. Not something I like to listen to all the time, but I love to come back to it every once in a while so that it seems fresh again, like an improvisation would be.

I have never heard this recording by Schnabel. A thrilling performance, so thanks for that, Peter.

Yes - my teacher (who sadly died this year) as a child heard Schnabel play and in her own words 'I've heard Rachmaninov, Richter, Solomon, Gilels - all of them great, but the difference with Schnabel was that is was as though Beethoven himself had walked into the room.'

I posted this piece now because of the little debate Philip and I are having on another thread, simply to show that I do believe improvisation to be a valid art form - of course there are plenty of other examples of Beethoven's improvisatory passages such as in Op.109 and Op.110. Contemporary accounts often spoke of his improvisations as being even more brilliant and inspired than his written works.