Some very pretty pieces today, and once again the composer is Beethoven. Why you ask: is it could because I really really like his work; or perhaps because his works are recorded most often; or it could just be because it's all I have left until I get the mother load of records on Friday. Right now I plan on receiving 13 boxes of records, which conservative count would be around 750 records. Then I get the fun of opening all of them; that's right, it's going to be Christmas in September.
Anyway on to today's listening.
Side One
Piece: Quartet in A Major, Op. 18, No 5
1. Allegro
2. Menuetto
3. Andante cantabile
4. Allegro
Composer: Beethoven
Performers: The Budapest Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetzky on Violins; Kroyt on Viola; M. Schneider on Cello.
Record Date: 1951
Side Two
Piece: Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No.6
1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio, ma non troppo
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. La Malinconia: Adagio; Allegretto quasi allegro
Performers: The Budapest Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetzky on Violins; Kroyt on Viola; M. Schneider on Cello.
Record Date: 1951
Showing posts with label 1951. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1951. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Day 20
So today you get two for the price of one; well actually you get me catching up on missing yesterday and listening to a piece which spans two records. And the best part is, I even have an explanation why. Yesterday I had a plan, I was going to to go do laundry, come home, listen to some music, relax, then fall asleep. Suddenly, while enjoying my mid dryer beer, I remembered that some black guy who we elected a couple of months back, was giving the speech that could make or break his political career and the health of millions of Americans now and in the future. And I really wanted to watch it.
Ok, so it wasn't a good explanation, but I never said it was going to be; it does however, lead into what I listened to today, Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It was all dependant on the speech, if our president caved in, gave up the health of millions for an easier presidency I had planned to listen to Beethoven's 5th, which as we all know starts off a little less than optimistic. Luckily for me and in my belief anyway, the United States (maybe not Joe Wilson), he threw down the gauntlet. And I ended up doing fist pumps in the air, like the teenager who first discovers alcohol and Black Sabbath during the same summer...Not that would be autobiographical or anything.
Piece: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral"
1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Molto vivace (Scherzo)
3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato
4. Presto - Allegro ma non troppo - Allegro assai - Prestp - Allegrp assai - Allegro assai vivace, Alla Marcia - Andante maestoso - Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato - Allegro ma non tanto - Poco Adagio - Prestissimo
Composer: Beethoven
Orchestra: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwangler
Record Date: Live 1951
It's entertains me that the two pieces I was going to choose from today are probably (next to Fur Elise) Beethoven's most famous. Yet if you asked the average Joe to sing any part of the 5th besides the first movement, or the 9th besides the fourth movement, they would probably make some joke about bowel movements. This is saddening to me, not just on a comic level, or even on an educational level, or a cultural level, but rather just for the fact that the first, and especially the third movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony is outrageously gorgeous. The symphony is complete with full thoughts and ideas that develop throughout the movements and when compared to seconds it takes to lay down and idea during first movement of his 5th Symphony, makes my jaw wag in awe. I guess what my rambling is trying to point out is, listen to the whole symphony, not because it's a classic, not because it's great, and not because it's culture, but rather because it's simply beautiful.
I'll end today with the translation of the first three lines of the famous fourth movement chorus, the only lines normally sung these days that were actually written by the Composer himself:
O friends, no more these sounds continue--
Let us raise a song of gladness.
O Joy! Let us praise thee!
Ok, so it wasn't a good explanation, but I never said it was going to be; it does however, lead into what I listened to today, Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It was all dependant on the speech, if our president caved in, gave up the health of millions for an easier presidency I had planned to listen to Beethoven's 5th, which as we all know starts off a little less than optimistic. Luckily for me and in my belief anyway, the United States (maybe not Joe Wilson), he threw down the gauntlet. And I ended up doing fist pumps in the air, like the teenager who first discovers alcohol and Black Sabbath during the same summer...Not that would be autobiographical or anything.
Piece: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral"
1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
2. Molto vivace (Scherzo)
3. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato
4. Presto - Allegro ma non troppo - Allegro assai - Prestp - Allegrp assai - Allegro assai vivace, Alla Marcia - Andante maestoso - Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato - Allegro ma non tanto - Poco Adagio - Prestissimo
Composer: Beethoven
Orchestra: Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwangler
Record Date: Live 1951
It's entertains me that the two pieces I was going to choose from today are probably (next to Fur Elise) Beethoven's most famous. Yet if you asked the average Joe to sing any part of the 5th besides the first movement, or the 9th besides the fourth movement, they would probably make some joke about bowel movements. This is saddening to me, not just on a comic level, or even on an educational level, or a cultural level, but rather just for the fact that the first, and especially the third movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony is outrageously gorgeous. The symphony is complete with full thoughts and ideas that develop throughout the movements and when compared to seconds it takes to lay down and idea during first movement of his 5th Symphony, makes my jaw wag in awe. I guess what my rambling is trying to point out is, listen to the whole symphony, not because it's a classic, not because it's great, and not because it's culture, but rather because it's simply beautiful.
I'll end today with the translation of the first three lines of the famous fourth movement chorus, the only lines normally sung these days that were actually written by the Composer himself:
O friends, no more these sounds continue--
Let us raise a song of gladness.
O Joy! Let us praise thee!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Day 19
Today I'm continuing with Beethoven's String Quartets. I have a lot to say about them, but must write a cover letter for an internship applications. I hate cover letters, but I like internships with money and tuition vouchers...Dilemmas.
Side One
Piece: Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No 3
1. Allegro
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro
4. Presto
Composer: Beethoven
Performers: The Budapest Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetsky on Violins; Kroyt on Viola and Schneider on Cello.
Record Date: 1951
Side Two
Piece: Quartet in C Minor, Op 18, No 4
1. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
3. Menuetto: Allegretto
4. Allegro
And that's all folks
Side One
Piece: Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No 3
1. Allegro
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro
4. Presto
Composer: Beethoven
Performers: The Budapest Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetsky on Violins; Kroyt on Viola and Schneider on Cello.
Record Date: 1951
Side Two
Piece: Quartet in C Minor, Op 18, No 4
1. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Scherzo: Andante scherzoso quasi allegretto
3. Menuetto: Allegretto
4. Allegro
And that's all folks
Monday, September 7, 2009
Day 18
Spent most of the day rearranging the apartment, or reading about how alcohol intake can be a risk factor for heart attacks (and yes, I was drinking a beer while reading, so what).
Today was the first and second of Beethoven's Op. 18, The Six Quartets
Side One
Piece: Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
3. Scherzo: Allegro molto
4. Allegro
Composer: Beethoven
Performers: The Budapest String Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetzky, Violins; Kroyt, Viola; Schneider, Cello
Record Date: 1951
Side Two
Piece: Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
1.Allegro
2. Adagio cantabile; Allegro
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Allegro molto quasi presto
Supposedly this is one of those great recordings that happens once in a lifetime. The best musicians, playing the best instruments, preforming a great piece. I just wish life would have slowed down enough for me to really sit and enjoy.
Today was the first and second of Beethoven's Op. 18, The Six Quartets
Side One
Piece: Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato
3. Scherzo: Allegro molto
4. Allegro
Composer: Beethoven
Performers: The Budapest String Quartet: Roisman and Gorodetzky, Violins; Kroyt, Viola; Schneider, Cello
Record Date: 1951
Side Two
Piece: Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
1.Allegro
2. Adagio cantabile; Allegro
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Allegro molto quasi presto
Supposedly this is one of those great recordings that happens once in a lifetime. The best musicians, playing the best instruments, preforming a great piece. I just wish life would have slowed down enough for me to really sit and enjoy.
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