Hi,
I couldn't find a thread where we could share our experiences of Beethoven's music on live concerts. Maybe there's been one but it's buried somewhere...
Anyway I thought it would be nice to have a sort of "music critique" thread. Did you attend a concert where Beethoven's music was played? Where? Who were the musicians? What did you think of the performance?
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I could start with a wonderful evening from last month. We had the utmost pleasure of hearing the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, and what was even better, he played a Graf piano (a replica, but still! A fortepiano!). The concert was set at an old medieval church, and I had the front row seat (I got so lucky, I got it for free too - the place where I work at has some lovely advantages). My soon-to-be-spouse was sitting on the upper floor and to our happy surprise, both of the seats were spectacular! You never know with churches and period instruments you know...
Brautigam started with the sonata in E major, no.30. It was filled with emotion! So much in fact that he blurred a few notes but what did it matter, the impact was amazing. The presto part nearly knocked us from our seats! It was funny, too, that he stopped turning pages during the presto part, and just flew on the keys, humming as he played
I didn't know he was a hummer xD
After the Beethoven sonata he played also Mendelssohn and Schumann (fantastic pieces both) and the audience demanded for more and more. Encores started, I was guessing they were Mendelssohn as well. At the end, I think it was his third encore, he played Für Elise and we just laughed I think it was his way to say "you've had enough of me tonight I'm going to bed now, thank you" 
We realized only on our way home that Brautigam didn't utter one word to the public, he just bowed to the audience several times. 
Wonderful, wonderful musician.
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I am also holding a ticket for Missa Solemnis, which will be performed by the Finnish National Opera in November. It will be first time I hear that piece live and it will be in a somewhat large neo-gothic church in Helsinki. I.Can't.Wait.
I couldn't find a thread where we could share our experiences of Beethoven's music on live concerts. Maybe there's been one but it's buried somewhere...
Anyway I thought it would be nice to have a sort of "music critique" thread. Did you attend a concert where Beethoven's music was played? Where? Who were the musicians? What did you think of the performance?
----
I could start with a wonderful evening from last month. We had the utmost pleasure of hearing the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, and what was even better, he played a Graf piano (a replica, but still! A fortepiano!). The concert was set at an old medieval church, and I had the front row seat (I got so lucky, I got it for free too - the place where I work at has some lovely advantages). My soon-to-be-spouse was sitting on the upper floor and to our happy surprise, both of the seats were spectacular! You never know with churches and period instruments you know...
Brautigam started with the sonata in E major, no.30. It was filled with emotion! So much in fact that he blurred a few notes but what did it matter, the impact was amazing. The presto part nearly knocked us from our seats! It was funny, too, that he stopped turning pages during the presto part, and just flew on the keys, humming as he played
I didn't know he was a hummer xD After the Beethoven sonata he played also Mendelssohn and Schumann (fantastic pieces both) and the audience demanded for more and more. Encores started, I was guessing they were Mendelssohn as well. At the end, I think it was his third encore, he played Für Elise and we just laughed
I think it was his way to say "you've had enough of me tonight I'm going to bed now, thank you" We realized only on our way home that Brautigam didn't utter one word to the public, he just bowed to the audience several times. Wonderful, wonderful musician.
---
I am also holding a ticket for Missa Solemnis, which will be performed by the Finnish National Opera in November. It will be first time I hear that piece live and it will be in a somewhat large neo-gothic church in Helsinki. I.Can't.Wait.
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