The Beethoven Xmas teaser

[Peter]

1) "The loveliest delight in the country" Answered by Fidelio (PM) and Michael: "In the country I know no lovelier delight than quartet music." (To Archduke Rudolph, in a letter addressed to Baden on July 24,1813.)

2) A solemn performance first goes completely to the heart. Answered by Fidelio : 1st complete performance of the Missa Solemnis in St.Petersburg

3) A monumental occasion attended by an impressive List. Answered by Philip (PM) and Michael: 1845 (Aug 12) - Inauguration of the Beethoven monument in Bonn. Many Princes, scholars and artists attended including Liszt, Queen Victoria.

4) A joke shared on the bridge. Answered by Philip (PM) and Megan: Op.131 scherzo - the sul pulcinello passage.

5) Some sombre inspiration for Chopin? Answered by Megan : The funeral march in Beethoven's sonata Op.26 provided the inspiration for Chopin's own sonata in Bb minor which also contains a famous funeral march.

6) This piece has put Lydia in a mood! Answered by Philip (PM) and Megan: Op.132 3rd movt (Lydian mode)

[Peter]

Most of these have now been answered by PM so feel free to post your answers anyone else!

[Fidelio]

While munching on a rather naughty buttered croissant (well it is Christmas), I had another thought. Further to my answer (PM) to 2 above, Beethoven reported to Prince Galitzin in a letter after the premiere in St Petersburg on 7 April 1824
“The masterly harmony and the moving melody of the Benedictus transport the heart to a plane that is really blissful”.

[Peter]

While munching on a rather naughty buttered croissant (well it is Christmas), I had another thought. Further to my answer (PM) to 2 above, Beethoven reported to Prince Galitzin in a letter after the premiere in St Petersburg on 7 April 1824
“The masterly harmony and the moving melody of the Benedictus transport the heart to a plane that is really blissful”.

Yes Fidelio - you'd answered in your PM about the Missa Solemnis but I was also after the complete first performance is St.Petersburg!

[Megan]

No.3


The story goes that on April 13th, 1823, at a concert, in front of no less than 4000 people and the great Beethoven himself, young Franz Liszt played , Hummel's piano concerto in A minor, and a Fantasia of his own, the andante of Beethoven's symphony in C minor, after which Beethoven supposedly walked up to young Franz and either kissed him on the forehead or hugged him and said softly, "You are a lucky fellow, for you are going to make lots of people happy and gratified, there is nothing better or more beautiful".



No.4


Beethoven uses new effects, never before essayed in the string quartet literature: the ethereal, dreamlike effect of open intervals between the high E string and the open A string in the trio of Op. 132; the use of sul ponticello (playing on the bridge of the violin) for a brittle, scratchy sound in the Presto movement of Op. 131; the use of the lydian mode, unheard in Western music for 200 years, in Op. 132; a cello melody played high above all the other strings in the finale of Op. 132.[26] Yet for all this disjointedness, each quartet is tightly designed, with an overarching structure that ties the work together.



No.6 Is referring to a piece played in the Lydian mode?

[Megan]

No.6. Lydian mode

This is the third movement of his String Quartet, Op. 132 in A minor. The quartet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4fb5WRlME0


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4fb5WRlME0[/YOUTUBE]

[Peter]

No.3


The story goes that on April 13th, 1823, at a concert, in front of no less than 4000 people and the great Beethoven himself, young Franz Liszt played , Hummel's piano concerto in A minor, and a Fantasia of his own, the andante of Beethoven's symphony in C minor, after which Beethoven supposedly walked up to young Franz and either kissed him on the forehead or hugged him and said softly, "You are a lucky fellow, for you are going to make lots of people happy and gratified, there is nothing better or more beautiful".



No.4


Beethoven uses new effects, never before essayed in the string quartet literature: the ethereal, dreamlike effect of open intervals between the high E string and the open A string in the trio of Op. 132; the use of sul ponticello (playing on the bridge of the violin) for a brittle, scratchy sound in the Presto movement of Op. 131; the use of the lydian mode, unheard in Western music for 200 years, in Op. 132; a cello melody played high above all the other strings in the finale of Op. 132.[26] Yet for all this disjointedness, each quartet is tightly designed, with an overarching structure that ties the work together.



No.6 Is referring to a piece played in the Lydian mode?

No.4 and No.6 are correct - they were also answered correctly by Philip the lurker so credit goes to both of you!

[Chris]

I knew No. 6 but was too slow for all of you! I'll have to see if I can come up with an answer to one of those unsolved ones.

[Megan]

I thought no. 3 was something to do with Franz Liszt.

[Megan]

No.5 Chopin’s B-flat Sonata conforms directly to the German standard set by Beethoven in that it contains four movements including a second movement that resembles a funeral march.

Probably incorrect.

[Peter]

No.5 Chopin’s B-flat Sonata conforms directly to the German standard set by Beethoven in that it contains four movements including a second movement that resembles a funeral march.

Probably incorrect.

Partly correct!

[Peter]

I thought no. 3 was something to do with Franz Liszt.

Only a bit!

[Megan]

Partly correct!

No.5 - Chopin’s B-flat Sonata

The sonata's opening bars allude to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111, Beethoven's last. The basic sequence of scherzo, funeral march with trio, and animated, resolving finale, repeats that of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 12 A-flat major;




Was the peice played on all the black keys because it was a Funeral March?

[Peter]

No.5 - Chopin’s B-flat Sonata

The sonata's opening bars allude to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111, Beethoven's last. The basic sequence of scherzo, funeral march with trio, and animated, resolving finale, repeats that of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 12 A-flat major;




Was the peice played on all the black keys because it was a Funeral March?

Along the right lines and you're almost there but not quite the right reasons..

[Michael]

Gazing at this quiz through an alcoholic cloud:

No. 3 might be the unveiling of the Beethoven monument in Bonn in 1845. There's a bar a few feet away from it where I got quite tipsy one night and kept leaving to look at the monument.
Liszt was very much involved with this ceremony (not me and the pub) and he performed the Emperor Concerto and conducted the 5th symphony in an afternoon concert.

Regarding No. 1 Beethoven once said something like: "I know no lovlier delight in the country than string quartet music - (or just quartet music)?"


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