What are you listening to now?

[Sorrano]

Last night they played the Op. 130 Quartet with the Grosse Fugue as the finale. The contrast between the fugue and the Cavatina are certainly contrasting, yet in a perverse way, I thought they went well together. While listening to the fugue I wondered if Beethoven had any premonitions of his death. After airing the recording, Mcloughlin related the account of how Beethoven was so nervous about the first performance that he did not attend the concert. When it was over he was particularly interested in how the fugue was accepted.

[Zevy]

Last night they played the Op. 130 Quartet with the Grosse Fugue as the finale. The contrast between the fugue and the Cavatina are certainly contrasting, yet in a perverse way, I thought they went well together. While listening to the fugue I wondered if Beethoven had any premonitions of his death. After airing the recording, Mcloughlin related the account of how Beethoven was so nervous about the first performance that he did not attend the concert. When it was over he was particularly interested in how the fugue was accepted.

I also listened to the same broadcast. I found that Mr. Mcloughlin was very sparse in his description at the end and that he could have explained it better. For instance, Beethoven did not substitute the replacement finale until he was urged to do so; he did not do that on his own. He should have also explained that encores were common in Beethoven's day, even for single movements.

[Enrique]

Mozart: Mass in C minor.

[Sorrano]

Tonight was the C-Sharp minor quartet on Exploring Music. It was hard to focus on that as I am still recovering from yesterday's performance.

[Decrepit Poster]

I listened again to what might be my overall favorite recorded Eroica: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch / Chailly. It's on the fast side, often hard driven with strong accents and nicely crisp tympani. The low horn part in movement three speaks reasonably cleanly, especially considering the tempo. Just a few measures into movement one, there's a one-measure ascending eighth-note passage in the cello / second violin, usually played so softly I don't really notice it. Chailly brings it to the fore. Once heard, it sounds so very right that, for me, the normal subdued interpretation seems empty. I like the performance well enough that, after a first hearing at YouTube, I ordered the CD, which includes the fourth symphony and Fidelio Overture.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTUnmJCTvXA&t=405s[/YOUTUBE]

[Enrique]

I listened again to what might be my overall favorite recorded Eroica: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch / Chailly. It's on the fast side, often hard driven with strong accents and nicely crisp tympani. The low horn part in movement three speaks reasonably cleanly, especially considering the tempo. Just a few measures into movement one, there's a one-measure ascending eighth-note passage in the cello / second violin, usually played so softly I don't really notice it. Chailly brings it to the fore. Once heard, it sounds so very right that, for me, the normal subdued interpretation seems empty. I like the performance well enough that, after a first hearing at YouTube, I ordered the CD, which includes the fourth symphony and Fidelio Overture.

The first movement... Impressive!

[Decrepit Poster]

Listened to the 9th as performed by the NDR orchestra under Gunter Wand. An all-round fine performance. The second movement might be its highlight for me. As is the way of things, that movement (along with the others) can be heard at YouTube:
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ho7lZFinw[/YOUTUBE]

[Harvey]

Leonore 1806 version on video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

[Sorrano]

Last night, the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Anyone familiar with Leonidas Kavakos' performance? He conducted as well as played the violin and in the cadenza he utilized elements of Beethoven's piano version of the concerto cadenza. Very interesting recording.

[Megan]

For BBC Radio 3 listeners.

Tonight at 7:30.


Beethoven Can Hear You
Drama on 3

By Timothy X Atack

Peter Capaldi stars as Ludwig van Beethoven, in an immersive drama marking 250 years since the composer’s birth.

Beethoven is visited by a deaf traveller from another time. The Visitor (Sophie Stone) is shocked to discover that Beethoven can hear; it seems that in this reality the composer never lost his hearing. Beethoven is haunted by the idea his ears could fail him. But the Visitor must make him understand his importance as history’s first deaf composer.

An immersive exploration of Beethoven and his music from writer Timothy X Atack (Forest 404) and with an original score from deaf composer Lloyd Coleman.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mrgn

[Michael]

Thanks for the heads-up, Megan!!

(Spotted your post five minutes before the programme started! I probably could have got it again on iPlayer but it can act up on my PC. I recorded it direct with ancient technology - minidisc - and am looking forward to hearing it.)






.

[Megan]

I'm afraid I wasn't terribly impressed with the programme.

[Michael]

I'm afraid I wasn't terribly impressed with the programme.

I've just heard a few minutes of it and it does sound weird. The BBC did a similar surreal sort of Beethoven play back in 2002 but at least they used his own music.

[Sorrano]

For the past few days I've been listening to Leon Fleisher recordings, mostly with Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra including recordings of Beethoven's 2nd and 4th piano concerti, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Brahm's 2 concerti, Mozart's concerto No. 25, Grieg's concerto, and Schumann's (Robert) concerto. These are wonderful recordings and performances!

[Chris]

For the past few days I've been listening to Leon Fleisher recordings, mostly with Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra including recordings of Beethoven's 2nd and 4th piano concerti, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Brahm's 2 concerti, Mozart's concerto No. 25, Grieg's concerto, and Schumann's (Robert) concerto. These are wonderful recordings and performances!

Yes indeed! These are my favorite recordings of the Beethoven piano concertos.