What are you listening to now?

[AeolianHarp]

And I don't care what anyone says, just like Beethoven's Serioso quartet, I love the ending and I don't think it diminishes the rest of the work at all.

I have never read anyone saying it diminishes the ending- and I agree with you it is a great ending. It is hardly what I would call "jolly" anyway- the cello keeps the serious feel under the violins and viola.

[Harvey]

Fidelio on CD with Waltraud Meier as Leonore and Placido Domingo as Florestan.

[hal9000]

I have never read anyone saying it diminishes the ending- and I agree with you it is a great ending. It is hardly what I would call "jolly" anyway- the cello keeps the serious feel under the violins and viola.

I forgot where I read it, but some commentators have thought that the ending trivialises the gravitas of the rest of the work. I don't think there's anything wrong with it being jolly anyhow. It's not the first time Beethoven's employed at times an almost schizophrenic juxtaposition of musical entities. There's generally always light to the darkness in his music. Beethoven ended the third symphony similarly - the music could have easily fallen into that dark pit again, as it probably would have in a Mahler symphony, but this is Beethoven. Outside of the Appasionata sonata, I can't off the top of my head think of any Beethoven piece that ends on what I consider a dark note. That's why I love Beethoven. The ending doesn't strike me as serious at all; what it is, is a great musical punchline.

[Harvey]

Eroica symphony (conductor: Norrington) is playing right now streamed from Interlochen Public Radio.

[Joy]

I forgot where I read it, but some commentators have thought that the ending trivialises the gravitas of the rest of the work. I don't think there's anything wrong with it being jolly anyhow. It's not the first time Beethoven's employed at times an almost schizophrenic juxtaposition of musical entities. There's generally always light to the darkness in his music. Beethoven ended the third symphony similarly - the music could have easily fallen into that dark pit again, as it probably would have in a Mahler symphony, but this is Beethoven. Outside of the Appasionata sonata, I can't off the top of my head think of any Beethoven piece that ends on what I consider a dark note. That's why I love Beethoven. The ending doesn't strike me as serious at all; what it is, is a great musical punchline.

Very well put.

[AeolianHarp]

Outside of the Appassionata sonata, I can't off the top of my head think of any Beethoven piece that ends on what I consider a dark note. That's why I love Beethoven.

There are 2 more according to my memory of a lecture by Jonathan Biss on his Beethoven piano sonatas Coursera lectures- only 3 pieces of music that ended sadly or rather less triumphantly or on a hopeful feeling. I think The C sharp minor piano sonata was one Mr Biss mentioned. I'll get round to watching the lecture again and report back.I think it was in that lecture.But yes, that's what I appreciate about Beethoven's music also.

The ending doesn't strike me as serious at all; what it is, is a great musical punchline.

Another way of looking at it!

[Zevy]

Yesterday I listened to various recordings of the Mozart Concerti for wind instruments, all on period instruments. I must say that they are very nice. Especially the horn concerti, performed by Anthony Halstead. He gets all the notes, quite accurately, with no valves! Marvelous!

[yolhanson]

Hi. My first post here.

I've been listening to various performances of the Ninth Symphony. I've never quite understood what Beethoven was trying to do with it. I mean (at the risk of seeming a dumb-ass), I understand the music and so on, but I just find it the most inaccessible of his symphonies. I need to increase my deeper understanding of this huge work.

Anyway, in answer to the question: I'm listening to Symphony 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven (with whom you are all well acquainted).

[Peter]

Hi. My first post here.

I've been listening to various performances of the Ninth Symphony. I've never quite understood what Beethoven was trying to do with it. I mean (at the risk of seeming a dumb-ass), I understand the music and so on, but I just find it the most inaccessible of his symphonies. I need to increase my deeper understanding of this huge work.

Anyway, in answer to the question: I'm listening to Symphony 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven (with whom you are all well acquainted).

Welcome Yolhanson - I think when you hit a block like that with a piece, it's sometimes best to leave it for a while and explore other works by Beethoven and other composers and then come back to it. The 9th is the most original of his symphonies so it's not surprising you have difficulties. It took me years to appreciate his quartet Op.95 (which I now love) and Bruckner's symphonies I simply couldn't get my head round for a long long time - patience is the key, don't try to force it!

[Sorrano]

Hi. My first post here.

I've been listening to various performances of the Ninth Symphony. I've never quite understood what Beethoven was trying to do with it. I mean (at the risk of seeming a dumb-ass), I understand the music and so on, but I just find it the most inaccessible of his symphonies. I need to increase my deeper understanding of this huge work.

Anyway, in answer to the question: I'm listening to Symphony 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven (with whom you are all well acquainted).

Welcome, Yolhanson! Perhaps the Choral Fantasy is a good place to start in getting closer to the 9th.

[Decrepit Poster]

I've been lax reporting my daily listening habits. They continue to be Beethoven piano sonata centric, centered on my SACD set of of the complete sonatas performed by Roland Brautigam on fortepiano as well as volume one of HJ Lim's Beethoven sonata set. I have of course heard other things, mostly at YouTube, including a number of Andras Schiff Beethoven piano sonata lecture-recitals.

Over the past two days I listened to disks three, four and five from the Brautigam set. I am especially impressed by his rendition of sonata No.16 Op.31-1. This is a work I was not at all acquainted with prior to purchasing the Brautigam set late last year. It is now a favorite and, I think, one of the set's highlights.

I also revisited, at YouTube, two non standard performances of Mozart's "Turkish Rondo/March", the one played on fortepiano with Janissary stop and Yuja Wang's rendition of the Volodos adaptation.

Hi. My first post here.

I've been listening to various performances of the Ninth Symphony. I've never quite understood what Beethoven was trying to do with it. I mean (at the risk of seeming a dumb-ass), I understand the music and so on, but I just find it the most inaccessible of his symphonies. I need to increase my deeper understanding of this huge work.

Anyway, in answer to the question: I'm listening to Symphony 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven (with whom you are all well acquainted).

Welcome aboard! For what it's worth, I myself came relatively late to the Ninth Symphony fan club, it being the last of B's symphonies I grew to love unreservedly. I don't think anything in particular turned the tide for me. Like you, I just kept slugging away at it, listening to different interpretations, until it finally 'clicked'.

[Enrique]

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis.
That section that begins D-E-C-A-B-G... Never remember the name of the part.

EDIT: It is the Sanctus.

[Decrepit Poster]

I've done little listening beyond one disk from the Brautigam Beethoven sonata set and a few odds & ends at YouTube. That said, while reading the brief "Movies" section "Beethoven's Only Beloved: Josephine!" I noticed an entry for "In Search of Beethoven" which I was not familiar with. I watched it at YouTube last night (or was it during the afternoon?). I mention it in this thread since it is rather music centric, with a great many fine performance snippets and comments by prominent artists and ensemble. As to the bio portion itself, I find it a decent overview of the composer's life, giving that the film is too short to cover many aspects in adequate detail. For instance, it adheres staunchly to Solomon's choice for the Immortal Beloved with absolutely no mention that alternate choices exist. (Leastwise I don't recall any choices being mentioned.)

[Zevy]

Mozart Clarinet Quintet with Benny Goodman, Clarinet (both recordings).

[AeolianHarp]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzZe0LSTX9o[/YOUTUBE]