Beethoven's arrangements of his own music
Beethoven arranged or recomposed a number of his works for other instruments. What do you think of that? I am personally completely unable to choose between his piano sonata #9 and his own arrangement for string quartet: Hess 34. I consider Hess 34 to be the most charming of his string quartets. I have a wonderful recording with Gewandhaus Quartett.
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Be true! Be true! Be true! -
I have two recordings of the quartet version myself. In one of them the writer in the liner notes hypothesises that perhaps the quartet (or at least a form of it) was the original and the sonata the arrangement, he then resurrected this unused quartet material to produce Hess34! Stylistically the quartet is a 'throw-back' compared to B's then current manner. I would say that, excellent though the quartet is, the sonata is better.Originally posted by Troels:
Beethoven arranged or recomposed a number of his works for other instruments. What do you think of that? I am personally completely unable to choose between his piano sonata #9 and his own arrangement for string quartet: Hess 34. I consider Hess 34 to be the most charming of his string quartets. I have a wonderful recording with Gewandhaus Quartett.
Concerning the arrangements in general, it was just an accepted practise in the music business. Most were not even done by Beethoven himself, or he merely corrected the work of somebody else. Beethoven's own arrangements I can easily live with.
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
[This message has been edited by Rod (edited April 16, 2003).] -
That may to some extent be a question about which recordings you happen to know. I have two other recordings of the quartet (Melos and Kodaly) and I do not consider any of them to be satisfactory.Originally posted by Rod:
I would say that, excellent though the quartet is, the sonata is better.
Be true! Be true! Be true!Comment
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The recordings I have of the quartet are pretty good (but not the same recordings as any of yours) and of the sonata too, I was making a musical judgement here. The quartet is less what I would regard as typically Beethovenian.Originally posted by Troels:
That may to some extent be a question about which recordings you happen to know. I have two other recordings of the quartet (Melos and Kodaly) and I do not consider any of them to be satisfactory.
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
[This message has been edited by Rod (edited April 16, 2003).]Comment
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