What are you listening to now?

[Harvey]

Mendelssohn String Symphonies

[Zevy]

Mozart Piano Quartets, Beaux Arts Trio w/ Bruno Giuranna.

[hal9000]

I totally agree with you on those two examples. The development section of the first movement of the "Eroica" is as long as some early symphonies by Haydn or Mozart and it covers more tonal ground, with a huge build-up culminating in that completely right "wrong" horn entry!
Even after the real recapitulation, Beethoven still modulates wildly on the sharp and flat sides of E flat major. He's really showing off with a balancing act.
But the first movement of the Ninth really takes the crown following a weird development section where B does the opposite of the Eroica and doesn't prepare us at all for that mighty recapitulation.

It seems that Beethoven was experimenting and testing the limits of the sonata form with the development sections and recaps the older he got. Take for instance the 8th symphony first movement, where the recap arrives at the peak of the crescendo of the development section. Or, the previously discussed Opus 127 first movement, where the maestoso, which up to that point has been a punctuation mark in the sonata form movement, is actually played in the wrong key at the end of the development. Shortly after, with a bit of modulation, we land on the right key, so we have this weird disconnect in which thematically and motivically we've recapped with the maestoso entry, but in terms of key area we haven't recapped until a minute later. Or how about the rather bizarre "development section" of the opening movement of Opus 132, in which the development is just the exposition played in a different key.

While we're on the subject of the 9th symphony first movement, I find it the greatest symphonic movement ever written, and it's the one that generally goes unnoticed in context with the other movements. It is the most organically perfect movement he wrote in my opinion, as if Beethoven actually did just draw back a curtain and have the universe dictate to him.

The opening has been discussed many times that a rainforest has probably been cut down for the paper that has been used for the words written about it, but it still amazes. I love how the music actually collapses in the beginning, as if the music was a star and there wasn't enough fusion to support the mass of it. But it starts again, and we have fusion! It really is the big bang of music.

And we've discussed the apocalyptic hellfire that is the recap, but the diametrically opposed B-flat theme (which calls to the ode to joy theme) that is juxtaposed right after it always makes me smile (I'm self-consciously smiling inside when listening in public).

And the ending, which is just ominously brilliant. With the pathetic wails of the woodwind instruments as the strings slowly climb with that repeated funerial march figure, ending in an explosion of raw unadulterated power that I have yet to to hear in any other music.

[Michael]

Great descriptions- particularly the Ninth first movement. It has the most tragic coda of all the symphonies. It's even downright cruel when Beethoven introduces the horn call and we seem to be climbing out of the abyss but then the merciless ostinato drowns everything. No wonder he put the scherzo second.

Still, my favourite first movement of all the symphonies is the Eroica's. That's the one I wish I had written myself. (That's if I could write music - or even read it! )

[Chris]

I was stuck in traffic this morning, but it gave me the opportunity to listen to Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 3!

[Zevy]

Mozart Piano Trios/Beaux Arts Trio.

[hal9000]

Still, my favourite first movement of all the symphonies is the Eroica's. That's the one I wish I had written myself. (That's if I could write music - or even read it! )

Would it be contradictory of me to say that is my favourite too, as well as having my favourite last movement. It also has my favourite Beethoven coda (1st movement). Emotionally, no other piece of Beethoven's moves me quite as much as the Eroica.

[Michael]

Would it be contradictory of me to say that is my favourite too, as well as having my favourite last movement. It also has my favourite Beethoven coda (1st movement). Emotionally, no other piece of Beethoven's moves me quite as much as the Eroica.

Beethoven was quoted as saying that the Eroica was his own favourite. I'm not sure but I think that was before he wrote the Ninth

[Chris]

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 2

[Peter]

Sibelius - Symphony no.1

[Chris]

Horowitz playing Beethoven's "Emperor" piano concerto - I've been getting a lot of Beethoven on my local classical station on my morning drives this week! I also got some of the Triple Concerto earlier in the week.

[Peter]

Schumann and Brahms piano quintets.

[Peter]

Mozart's glorious Symphony no.39 in Eb - perfect for this hot summer's day!

[Chris]

When I turned on the radio this morning I was greeted by the Rigaudon from Handel's Water Music Suite No. 2. An energizing way to start the day!

[Zevy]

Mozart Piano Concertos, Murray Perahia/ECO