Day 51

Something I believe I've listened to before, but yet I feel this piece fits the time of year, the end of a decade and potentially today.

Side one:

Piece: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat, Op. 55 "Eroica"

1. Allegro con brio

2. Marcia funebre (adagio assai) -First part

Composer: Beethoven

Orchestra: Warsaw National Philharmonic

Conductor: Witold Rowicki

Record Date: None-Give, printed 1981

Side two:

Piece: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat, Op. 55 "Eroica"

2. Marcia funebre (adagio assai) - Conculsion

3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace)

4. Finale (Allegro molto)

Composer: Beethoven

Orchestra: Warsaw National Philharmonic

Conductor: Witold Rowicki

Record Date: None-Give, printed 1981

If you believe what you read (and as a reader of this blog I must assume this is not true), this is Beethoven's personal favorite Symphony. Beethoven also supposedly wrote it for Napoleon, until Napoleon crowned himself emperor, and then some other stuff happened. Whatever. Let's get this straight, this symphony reeks of heroism, struggle, bravery and hope. The opening bars of the first movement cry out with a horn call which is repeated over and over again throughout the fifteen minutes the first movement occurs. The second while much less upbeat still has it's moments, and the third, while often being described as calvary charging their foes, to me it too upbeat and happy to be an appropriate description. This last observation may be due to the change in the view of war in the last hundred year.

And you care why? Well, I choose this piece to help set the stage for the New Year. Whoa Ian, you say; should you have placed it tomorrow then? Of course not, tomorrow will be clashing to new and old; of past and future; of Abbot and Costello. Any guesses?

See you tomorrow.

Day 38

I listened to Brahms' third symphony today, and I have a lot to say about Brahms, his music and his philosophy...Just not tonight, have things to do and people to see.

Side One:

Piece: Symphony No. 3 in F-Major, Op. 90

1. Allegro con brio

2. Andante

Composer: Brahms

Performers: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Karl Bohm

Record Date: None Given, my guess is old since it was "electronically" changed to "simulate stereo", meaning mono recording. So, recorded mid-sixties at the latest.

Side Two

Piece: Symphony No. 3 in F-Major, Op. 90

3. Poco allegretto

4. Allegro

Composer: Brahms

Performers: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Karl Bohm

Record Date: Non-Given

The piece is good, in fact the fourth movement is amazing. The house of cards comes crashing down as soon as you think of other composers of the 1880's. It is then you know why everyone made fun of Brahms for writing such old fashioned music. And really he is, he sounds like Beethoven 70 years beforehand. To me though, in the end, there is an honesty to this piece, a feeling of "it may be old man's music, but it's my music, and damn it, it is good." I respect that, completely.