What are you listening to now?

[AeolianHarp]

It got a review by someone who appears to be an idiot...

Thanka for the link- it's in my basket for when I am a bit more flush..

[Harvey]

Yep! A very rare use of the harp in Beethoven. He also used it as an alternative to the piano in one of his early set of variations, and the last time he used this instrument was in a beautiful song from "Leonore Prohaska".

All I can find on YouTube is a horrible MIDI version which might give you some idea of its beauty:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QTZrQG3TYQ

Ugh, yes horrible, but I should have this on my Complete Edition set. It's just a matter of getting to it with how busy I have been. Have only ripped 3 discs from the set. Promethus, Glorious Moment, and the violin/piano sonatas 3,4, and 5.

[Peter]

Very nice piece, Michael.

Now I am listening to Creatures of Promethus. The opening of track 7 seems to have some harp, but I am not sure.

Yes a rare use of the harp by Beethoven - he also uses the basset horn in no. 14. Coincidentally I've been listening to the Mozart flute and harp concerto!

[Michael]

Ugh, yes horrible, but I should have this on my Complete Edition set. It's just a matter of getting to it with how busy I have been. Have only ripped 3 discs from the set. Promethus, Glorious Moment, and the violin/piano sonatas 3,4, and 5.

For some strange reason, that particular song for soprano and harp is one of the very few works that are not included in the Cascade Complete edition. (Disc No. 14 contains only two of the four pieces that make up WoO 96).
Neither is it in the Brilliant Complete edition. It's in the DGG set and also available on this disc, along with the incidental music to "The Consecration of the House" (which is a re-hash of the "Ruins of Athens" music.)

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Inci.../dp/B000001GRA

(Tracks 12 and 13 are missing from two "complete" box sets but second-hand copies of the above are quite cheap on Amazon and it's a tremendous CD)

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Tchaikovsky: "Allegro" in c
Roussel: Trio for Flute, Viola and Cello, Op 40

[AeolianHarp]

Piano sonatas opus 2, nos 1, 2, 3 played on a real 1790 Johann Schantz fortepiano!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8thhPaHUh4

I am getting to the point where I don't really want to listen to Beethoven's piano music on modern pianos- the contemporary fortepianos are so much more alive and of course they have the authentic sound!

The tone of the bass notes on this piano are fantastic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8thhPaHUh4

[Chris]

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Inci.../dp/B000001GRA

(Tracks 12 and 13 are missing from two "complete" box sets but second-hand copies of the above are quite cheap on Amazon and it's a tremendous CD)

Indeed it is, and I like having it even though I have the volume of the DGG Complete Beethoven Edition that has these recordings, because on the DGG set the "Consecration of the House" music that is not part of the "Ruins of Athens" music is presented as a sort of appendix. It is understandable that they didn't want to duplicate tracks, but on this disc you can listen to the entire "Consecration of the House" without having to program your CD player or mess around with the order of files on your computer.

[AeolianHarp]

Oh and Pathetique on a 1790 Walter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T77JAYrRcgc

Ok I admit it- I am a fortepiano geek!

[Harvey]

My favourite Bagatelles- being played on his Broadwood piano!!!...I am in heaven...




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73SWpsVIb4s

They just started the Bagatelles on BeethovenOnly Radio and they are being played on Beethoven's own Broadwood Piano!

[Chris]

The final day of Cascade Beethoven:

Polonaise Op. 89
Fur Elise WoO 59
Variations for cell and piano WoO 45
Equale WoO 30, Nos. 1-3
Piano Sonata No. 9 Op. 14, No. 1
Consecration of the House Overture Op. 124
Coriolan Overture Op. 62
Leonore Overture No. 2 Op. 72a
Leonore Overture No. 3 Op. 72b

Pretty good recordings overall. Fur Elise was actually one of the better recordings of that piece I have heard; for some reason recordings of this little favorite are often far too slow or make use of too much rubato.

So, some final thoughts on this Cascade Ludwig van Beethoven: Premium Edition box set. I'm not really sure what the purpose of this box was. My first thought was that maybe it was meant to be an easy and cheap way to get all of Beethoven's major works, not the complete works as with the full Cascade set. But I don't think that's it. It has all the symphonies, concertos, and sonatas, but has only a couple of string quartets and piano trios, and Fidelio is nowhere to be found. Plus, there are entire discs full of obscure pieces. And if what they wanted was to provide a cheap box set of the symphonies, concertos, and sonatas, they could have done that with 20 discs instead of 40. Then I thought maybe it was meant to be a sampler for the full set, but that doesn't make a lot of sense either, since it is nearly half the size of the full set. Finally I thought maybe they lost the rights to some of the music, so they just put out what they could. But that doesn't seem right either, since there are a lot of folk songs that were recorded by the same groups, but are not complete here. So unless the missing ones were recorded by different artists, that's not the answer. And from what I can tell, this isn't just a subset of the discs in the full set either, since the pieces are spread across the discs differently. So I have no idea.

The quality of performances and recordings was variable across the set, but more good than bad, so judging from what I have heard here, I would guess the full Cascade set would be a great investment for the Beethoven enthusiast who hasn't amassed much of a CD collection. Supplementing this with some top-tier sets of the major works like the symphonies, concertos, sonatas, and Fidelio would be the easiest and cheapest way to have a more or less complete collection along with some of the finest recordings of the most major works. It's what I would do if I were starting my collection today.

[AeolianHarp]

They just started the Bagatelles on BeethovenOnly Radio and they are being played on Beethoven's own Broadwood Piano!

I have heard them a few times too- they are played by Andras Schiff I think. Isn't it great to hear his piano being played!
I have the opus 126 Bagetelles on mp3 album played by Andras Schiff- got it from Amazon.

[AeolianHarp]

Thanks for your review of the Cascade set Chris. I am not so much into complete boxed sets as I have favourite conductors and pianists etc so I prefer individual collections. I wouldn't mind boxed sets/collections of my favourites though- Ronald Brautigam being an example! I have a Daniel Barenboim piano sonata boxed set, which was a gift.

[Harvey]

I absolutely love having my complete box set on the shelf. I have a few of the discs ripped and the tracks on my MP3 and am enjoying them. It also gives me variety in those works I already have elsewhere (it happens that my 30+ Ninths include the one that came on the set--ah well, one to give away, eh?). Just knowing they are there and being able to pull one out and play it at any time is great. Ah, but I have so little time, so little time. One of lifes great contradictions:

So much great music; so little time!

But of course the greatest experience is the actual live performance. Recently took in Messiah and Brahms German Requiem. Am planning on attending Beethoven's Fifth in October. Looking for more.

Oh, current listening: Westenburg's Messiah. Beautiful! I have five Messiah sets: Westenburg, Higgenbottom (all male), Harry Christopher's Sixteen (earlier performance of two), Dunedin Consort's Dublin version Messiah, and the live Danish performance conducted by Morten Topp.

[AeolianHarp]

Haappy Listening Harvey!
Oh his radio isn't working again..

[hal9000]

I have heard them a few times too- they are played by Andras Schiff I think. Isn't it great to hear his piano being played!
I have the opus 126 Bagetelles on mp3 album played by Andras Schiff- got it from Amazon.

I also have the Op.126 Bagatelles by Schiff. They're played on a Franz Broadmann fortepiano, which is lovely. I have the CD set that also includes two versions of the Diabelli Variations played on the FB fortepiano and the other on a Bechstein piano, and for good measure Op.111. I really like Schiff - I have his sonatas which I value highly. If you haven't listened to them already, his lectures on all of the Beethoven sonatas are real gems.