What Beethoven concerts are you going to..

[AeolianHarp]

I've not long come back from seeing Opus 130.

And...

They played the Grosse Fugue!!!!!

Hearing and seeing it played live is something else!!!!!

[hal9000]

That's great to hear, Aeolian. I myself am going to see the Emerson Quartet play it on the 16th of November.

[AeolianHarp]

That's great to hear, Aeolian. I myself am going to see the Emerson Quartet play it on the 16th of November.

Bet you will love it hal! Have you been to a concert of it before?
It is amazing live, it really is! I don't know if the guys I saw are better than who I am listening to now, but it's not as dynamic. That might be because live you hear more possibly...
It is very energetic and demanding to play! Those guys must have been exhausted at the end and the concert hall was very hot.

I go with Beethoven- the Fugue works better than the Presto- the contrast between it and the Cavantina is electrifying. I also noticed some repetition of themes in the early bit of the Fugue that is in the earlier movements of Opus 130, which has such a powerful, unifying effect.

Opus 130 is a work of astounding genius!! I am just amazed at Beethoven's talent, especially as his hearing was almost gone by this point and also he was physically ill a lot when he was writing opus 130.

Oh and they started the concert with Bach's the Art of Fugue, which I had never heard before- that was beautiful too!

[Decrepit Poster]

I've not attended a live music event in a great many years. In fact the last of B's works I heard live was a performance of the second symphony by a touring Academy of St Martin the Fields under Neville Marriner circa 1988. It remains one of my fondest musical experiences. Besides Beethoven, the group played Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony", Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bubble-Bee", and Mozart's 40th. These were all magical performances, especially the Mozart. I had previously considered it the weakest of the titanic final three. Marriner and the Academy proved me wrong. Sadly, I have never heard a recorded performance of the 40th equal to what I experienced that long ago night.

More sadness. As part of that same touring orchestra series, the year before I heard the VPO under Abbado perform B's first and third symphonies. It was a disappointment. Too many flubs for an orchestra of the VPO's caliber. The performances themselves came across as uninspired. Maybe they were suffering from jet lag, or exhausted at the end of a lengthy tour, or just had an off night...such things happen.

As to why I no longer attend live events, reasons are many: Lack of funds, non availability of top-tier classical performing groups in my area, general heath issues, poor hearing (which can be more a hindrance at live events than over a home audio system).

One prime motivator is migraines. I have suffered from severe, frequent, long lasting migraine attacks since mid 1981. These make attending live events a risky proposition, should one coincide with a performance, as happened to me too many times. For some years I took the risk and kept attending concerts, seeing movies at cinemas, and visiting museums and the like. But it gets to you after a while. By the early '90s I admitted defeat. If I had to suffer, better to do so in bed with the lights out, sleep-mask and earplugs in place. (Or spending the night with my head buried in the commode, as happened during my worst episodes.)

The good news is that at the turn of the millennium I found a neurologist who turned me on to effected migraine preventative and breakthrough-ender medications. (Those, plus constant avoidance of known food-triggers, ensure that I now suffer far fewer episodes.) But by then the other limiting factors were in place (and my hearing worse).

My goodness. This begins to sound too whiny. "Poor, pitiful Decrepit." Bah! I'm certainly better off than a great many people.

[AeolianHarp]

Sorry to hear about your hearing and migraine problems DP. You must miss going to concerts, but I can understand why it is no longer viable for you.

[Albert Gans]

Saw the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in Wiesbaden last week, with Murray Perahia performing and conducting. He did the Emperor from the piano, it was a fantastic view, looking onto his back while he was playing and conducting the piece. A great performance, and to boot, the imagination started working: it looked as if Ludwig himself was sitting there and doing this... it was a special experience.
The day before, I discoverd the Reformation Symphony of Mendelssohn. I'd never heard it before, and saw it performed with what is probably my favourite combination: Gardiner and the LSO. When I listen to a piece of music for the first time, I usually get a sense of whether I will like it or not. It's a bit like scouting, doing reconnaisance. There will be little things that attract my immediate attention, other bits will feel like 'I will have to listen to this again', and then bits and pieces where I can't connect (yet). All in all, to me it normally means I need to listen to the piece a few times, before taking it up in my 'repertoire'.
It was more than typical of Gardiner that he managed to get all of those elements over and done with within that single performance he gave. He makes any piece he conduct sound like a fascinating story, it has a vision, a line of thought, it is a holistic concept. Tears were running down my face, as if I had been familiar with the piece for years.
To my memory, and I checked, as I keep a list of the performances I have seen over the years in a table, I have never been to a dull performance of Gardiner. I have seen him 9 times since 2003 (when I started the list) and can only say that he has never ever let me down. I may have mentioned this before here: I once saw him 'do' a Beethoven S1, as if Ludwig had written it 10 years later, not in the Haydnesque style we usually associate it with. It was the most electrifying experience. I am sure Beethoven would have smiled at hearing this.
Gardiner is tops.
Next week, it's the Emperor again, but this time with Leif Ove Andsnes, conducting and playing with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. At the Beethovenhalle in Bonn. While I am there, I will be paying my respects and visiting the Beethoven-Haus, of course, of which I am a member.

[AeolianHarp]

Saw the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in Wiesbaden last week, with Murray Perahia performing and conducting. He did the Emperor from the piano, it was a fantastic view, looking onto his back while he was playing and conducting the piece. A great performance, and to boot, the imagination started working: it looked as if Ludwig himself was sitting there and doing this... it was a special experience.

I bet Albert! I like Murray Perahia. I've got a CD of him playing all the Chopin etudes. The Emperor is one of my faves.

Glad to hear you liked the Mendelssohn too.

To my memory, and I checked, as I keep a list of the performances I have seen over the years in a table, I have never been to a dull performance of Gardiner. I have seen him 9 times since 2003 (when I started the list) and can only say that he has never ever let me down. I may have mentioned this before here: I once saw him 'do' a Beethoven S1, as if Ludwig had written it 10 years later, not in the Haydnesque style we usually associate it with. It was the most electrifying experience. I am sure Beethoven would have smiled at hearing this.

Do you mean an HIP as Beethoven intended it to be? Gardiner is quite into HIP.

Next week, it's the Emperor again, but this time with Leif Ove Andsnes, conducting and playing with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. At the Beethovenhalle in Bonn. While I am there, I will be paying my respects and visiting the Beethoven-Haus, of course, of which I am a member.

Wow, I envy you there Albert- that's one of my dreams; to not only visit Beethovenhaus but to see one of his works performed there.

[hal9000]

Bet you will love it hal! Have you been to a concert of it before?

This will be the first Beethoven SQ I will see live.

I go with Beethoven- the Fugue works better than the Presto- the contrast between it and the Cavantina is electrifying. I also noticed some repetition of themes in the early bit of the Fugue that is in the earlier movements of Opus 130, which has such a powerful, unifying effect.

Yes, going into the fugue after hearing the soft dying breaths of the Cavatina is quite powerful. I do agree that the fugue anchors the piece more effectively than the Allegro, especially given the weight of the first movement and the emotional depth of the Cavatina. That said, I do tend to listen to the Allegro as an encore when I listen to Op 130. It's a breath of fresh air after the tempestuous emotional rollercoaster that is the fugue. I don't really look at it as either/or, but just another whiff of emotion that characterises the entire work. The Allegro ends on such a delightful note and with a spring in its step, that I can't help but internally smile every time I hear it. A perfect coda to end a magnificent oeuvre.

Oh and they started the concert with Bach's the Art of Fugue, which I had never heard before- that was beautiful too!

OK, now I'm jealous

[AeolianHarp]

This will be the first Beethoven SQ I will see live.

It was mine too!

Yes, going into the fugue after hearing the soft dying breaths of the Cavatina is quite powerful. I do agree that the fugue anchors the piece more effectively than the Allegro, especially given the weight of the first movement and the emotional depth of the Cavatina.

That's how I find it too.

That said, I do tend to listen to the Allegro as an encore when I listen to Op 130. It's a breath of fresh air after the tempestuous emotional rollercoaster that is the fugue. I don't really look at it as either/or, but just another whiff of emotion that characterises the entire work. The Allegro ends on such a delightful note and with a spring in its step, that I can't help but internally smile every time I hear it. A perfect coda to end a magnificent oeuvre.

Yes, I see them as two ways of ending the work.

OK, now I'm jealous

I had never even heard The Art of Fugue before! It was the first piece they played. They walked on the stage, sat down then the chandeliers were dimmed and right away the 2 violinists began the opening notes of the Fugue- I found it quite magical!!

I didn't even know what the piece was until the end- I had to ask my friend who the composer was lol.

[Albert Gans]

Dear Aeolian,

No, I meant the way he performed it, his interpretation of the piece. It makes Gardiner one of the great conductors: he always seems to know what he wants. That makes listening to the story he tells so fascinating. I'd never heard S 1 played that way.

As to the concert now Sunday, it is in the Beethovenhalle, not his birth place. But I'll doing the little pilgrimage back to the room he actually was born, while I am there. The Beethovenhaus really is a nice place, well organised, too. A pleasure to visit as a Beethoven-addict.

Albert

[AeolianHarp]

Dear Aeolian,

No, I meant the way he performed it, his interpretation of the piece. It makes Gardiner one of the great conductors: he always seems to know what he wants. That makes listening to the story he tells so fascinating. I'd never heard S 1 played that way.

As to the concert now Sunday, it is in the Beethovenhalle, not his birth place. But I'll doing the little pilgrimage back to the room he actually was born, while I am there. The Beethovenhaus really is a nice place, well organised, too. A pleasure to visit as a Beethoven-addict.

Albert

I thought Beethovenhalle was the concert room they have at Beethovenhaus. I just looked the halle up! I expect there are a lot of places and buildings named after Ludwig in Bonn! They must be very proud of him there- and quite rightly too!

[hal9000]

That's great to hear, Aeolian. I myself am going to see the Emerson Quartet play it on the 16th of November.

Rotten night. Had to leave just before the Bb quartet as I had a pounding headache. I have been looking forward to this for months, so that should give you some idea of the severity of the headache. The fugue would have melted my brain.

[Decrepit Poster]

Rotten night. Had to leave just before the Bb quartet as I had a pounding headache. I have been looking forward to this for months, so that should give you some idea of the severity of the headache. The fugue would have melted my brain.

Man can I empathize with this! I'm a migraine sufferer. Back in the day, before a neurologist at last turned me on to somewhat effective preventative and extremely effective break-through ender medications I was subject to frequent, severe, long lasting attacks. These attacks made live concert attendance a risky proposition. If one hit during a performance I generally stuck it out to the bitter end, though I'd have been better off doing as you did and leaving.

I recall one night in the early/mid eighties. The silent film "Napoleon" was touring accompanied by a live full symphonic orchestra performing a specially composed music score. I traveled an hour and a half to experience it. Naturally a migraine set in early in the film. I stuck it out, but recall little other than enduring pain. The long drive home was excruciating. I needed to crack open the door and vomit several times. Migraines were a primary reason I scaled back and eventually all but ceased event attendance.

Nowadays, with migraines more or less under control, I have other health issues that make me leery of attending live events, and in any case classical music is almost never performed live in my immediate area, certainly not at the professional level.

[AeolianHarp]

Rotten night. Had to leave just before the Bb quartet as I had a pounding headache. I have been looking forward to this for months, so that should give you some idea of the severity of the headache. The fugue would have melted my brain.

Oh Hal I am so sorry for you!
What bad timing to have a pounding headache.
I attended a concert tonight ( well last night as it is now Monday early am but you get my meaning..) a youth orchestra! They played Sibelius's Finlandia, Dvorak's 8th symphony and a symphonic folk piece by a Czech composer whose name I forget.
I have had an IBS attack this weekend and woke up feeling very nauseous and was worried I'd be too ill to go! I drank a few cups of pukka herbal tea ( with fennel, chamomile, ginger etc) and that helped settle it.
I hope you get to see The Grosse Fugue another time.

[AeolianHarp]

Well I have been to the Pastoral performance- it was wonderful and the audience eventually worked up to lots of bravos!