his most beautiful piece?

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Joy:
Enjoy your concert next month! We have a pianist from Arizona State University that performs a lot of Beethoven and gives free concerts. I saw The Waldstein & The Appassionata among others he performs and it's really great. He also explains the piece musically and tells about Beethoven's life. Very interesting way to give a concert.

Those must be musical appreciation classes. It's surely very interesting... but I had to pay to see Barenboim.

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Rod:
Fair enough, but beautiful is really not an adequate enough word to describe Beethoven's slow music. In the past I've used terms such as noble, sincere, heartfelt etc.

And sometimes his music is more than noble, sincere, heartefelt or beatiful. EG: the instrumental interlude after the chorus' "Seid umschlmgen, millionen" in the Ninth Symphony. That brief and tender melody produces ecstasy.

[Beethoven1]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
And sometimes his music is more than noble, sincere, heartefelt or beatiful. EG: the instrumental interlude after the chorus' "Seid umschlmgen, millionen" in the Ninth Symphony. That brief and tender melody produces ecstasy.

Chopithoven, I agree! That instrumental interlude is one of my favorite parts. Everytime I hear the 9th, I think of the anecdote of Beethoven having to be turned around by one of the musicians to hear the tremendous applause. It makes it that much more emotional.

[Joy]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
And sometimes his music is more than noble, sincere, heartefelt or beatiful. EG: the instrumental interlude after the chorus' "Seid umschlmgen, millionen" in the Ninth Symphony. That brief and tender melody produces ecstasy.

Ecstasy is the word all right!!

[Joy]

Chopithoven, I agree! That instrumental interlude is one of my favorite parts. Everytime I hear the 9th, I think of the anecdote of Beethoven having to be turned around by one of the musicians to hear the tremendous applause. It makes it that much more emotional.[/B][/QUOTE]

I agree! Knowing the stories behind the scenes so to speak can make it that much more emotional.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Joy:
Ecstasy is the word all right!!

I tend to avoid usuing this word, Wagerians use it all the time so it must be meaningless in the context of music!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rutradelusasa]

I can´t find just one piece which will leave me in a higher state of mind, as I write this I´m listening to his 7th symphonie. Maybe that´s the most beautiful piece (the 1st mov.). Those high pitched horns in their highest pitch sing with all of their voice "Hail to the greatest composer ever!", the timpani makes everything bind together, the strings are having an emotional orgasm and I´m so overwhelmed by this piece whenever I hear it that I always have to stop (I often listen music while walking) and take a deep breath. (around 10' of the 1st made with the repetitions)

Even so, I can think of other pieces also very beautiful, very powerful, as this symphonie. Pieces that leave me knowing what is my reason to live if I don´t have any else. Many other pieces leave me that way. The same way I can´t think of an ugly piece by him, I can´t find the most beautiful. :-)

[Rod]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
The same way I can´t think of an ugly piece by him, I can´t find the most beautiful. :-)

Of course I agree, Beethoven never wrote a bad note. But his harmonisation is uniquely muscular and sinewy - not characteristics one associates with music of the period. This adds a strong intellectual element to the music. This 'texture' of Beethoven music is unique to my ears, though Handel was similarly robust by the standards of his day.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-15-2002).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
the strings are having an emotional orgasm

I simply love the way you put it! - though I think it applies even more to the finale where in the coda the strings rise up out of the depths and simply explode in joyful ecstasy - sorry Rod, but don't you think that at least here it is the right word ?

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'Man know thyself'

[PDG]

Yes, the 1st mvt of the 7th must qualify as beautiful, being as it is, a thing full of beauty. But what about the Arietta of the last piano sonata, esp. the last "twinkling" variation, "gently leading us to the shores of paradise", as one writer put it? And what of the brilliant finale of the Op.132 A minor quartet? It just shines with complete, unpretensious abandon. Truly one of Beethoven's greatest movements, with the word "ecstasy" no more appropriate than here, with its swirling, joyous 3/4 rhythm, fabulous melody and a typically killer coda.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I simply love the way you put it! - though I think it applies even more to the finale where in the coda the strings rise up out of the depths and simply explode in joyful ecstasy - sorry Rod, but don't you think that at least here it is the right word ?

I'm sorry Peter, in all seriousness I've heard Wagnerians also come out with 'orgasm' coments too. Politeness holds me from discussing my true opinions on this matter, suffice to say that they ...are...oh!...rubbish! There! I couldn't restrain myself. Suffice further to say if I want an orgasm I will not be running to my CD player.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
I'm sorry Peter, in all seriousness I've heard Wagnerians also come out with 'orgasm' coments too. Politeness holds me from discussing my true opinions on this matter, suffice to say that they ...are...oh!...rubbish! There! I couldn't restrain myself. Suffice further to say if I want an orgasm I will not be running to my CD player.

Well doubtless Wagnerians are entitled to their orgasmic experiences and if he does it for them, who are we to argue? - though in their case I agree there probably is a neurotic basis that Freud would have had a field day with - Ludwig ll being the most obvious case that comes to mind. However, might we not allow ourselves to use such an adjective to describe the coda of the 7th without retreating in 19th century prudish horror? Aside from the obvious, my dictionary defines the word as a climax of excitement - Your last sentence suggests perhaps you are being rather too literal and with that interpretation I agree you're best away from the cd player!

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Well doubtless Wagnerians are entitled to their orgasmic experiences and if he does it for them, who are we to argue? - though in their case I agree there probably is a neurotic basis that Freud would have had a field day with - Ludwig ll being the most obvious case that comes to mind. However, might we not allow ourselves to use such an adjective to describe the coda of the 7th without retreating in 19th century prudish horror? Aside from the obvious, my dictionary defines the word as a climax of excitement - Your last sentence suggests perhaps you are being rather too literal and with that interpretation I agree you're best away from the cd player!

I'm not being to literal, I suggest it is you chaps are being too melodramatic. I look forward to seeing you use such language again in the future Peter, but as for myself I'll stick to my own more level headed terminology.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
I'm not being to literal, I suggest it is you chaps are being too melodramatic. I look forward to seeing you use such language again in the future Peter, but as for myself I'll stick to my own more level headed terminology.

I didn't use the term but I suppose it isn't as level-headed as 'muscular and sinewy'.

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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I didn't use the term but I suppose it isn't as level-headed as 'muscular and sinewy'.

These are excellent words with regard to the context I was talking about. Whereas 'ecstacy' and 'orgasm' I can live without thank you kind Sir.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin