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Oh, wow, I'm on a big Beethoven kick just now, kickstarted by a three-part BBC series on his life and major works. Arguably (and people do argue!) the most revolutionary composer ever. But we are only now beginning to hear how LOUD and energetic his music seemed to listeners during his lifetime. Here's the Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, in a totally committed performance, great camera work too. This orchestra specialises in original instruments from Beethoven's time, gut strings, period-correct brass and woodwind, etc. Now, when the Early Music movement started, I'd be the first to admit that many of the performance might have been "correct" in instrumentation and technique, but they often lacked authority, a real command over the instruments and music. Not so with this orchestra! These musicians give it everything!
Enjoy...headphones on full volume!
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07-22-2020 02:39 PM
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Listening to the Canadian pianist Jane Coop's recordings of Beethoven's solo piano works first introduced me to just how fierce Beethoven can sound. Just how much bloody-minded repetition and restatement and barbarism there is in there.
Skylark Catalogue
Skylark Catalogue
Both albums are on Spotify I would imagine
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haha
cheers
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We've been listening a lot to the late string quartets. Our 10-year old daughter just took up violin, so we're striving to include as much violinnery in the around the house playlist as we can...
PK
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This is one of the more rhythmical interesting things he wrote, the last movement of op 27 no 1 (op 27 no 2 is the Moonlight Sonata)
Then there is this famous bit using the Lydian mode
and the grossest many grosse fugues he wrote
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ELO
Roll over Beethoven, Jeff Lynn, Bev Bevan, Kelly Groucutt (Bass)
Those were the days !! Neotomic
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Gardiner does a great job here. It is amazing how many times you can hear something, and then hear it again and it sounds almost completely new, or at least you discover new layers of depth to it.
There are so many great Beethoven recordings over the years...von Karajan (I have the boxed set of symphonies) and Bernstein...I love the late string quartets, but as my friend Bill said "These are not for beginners, these are for experts." He meant classical music listeners.
I remember when the Hogwood Mozart and Vivaldi recordings came out. They were real eye-openers (or ear-openers), especially since the more modern orchestras (and playing styles) had really changed the character of the music, and the "original instrument movement" went back to the basics.
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It's all good, because the music is good. Hard to go wrong. But some do it better. I used to listen to Karajan, Toscanini, Bernstein, et al, and loved something about every one of their interpretations. But this Eliot Gardner Orchestra Revolutionairre et Romantique really get it all right for me: alive, earthy, dangerous, much like the composer himself. I've just bought the 2020 edition of the Gardiner Complete Beethoven box set, with all nine symphonies and other things. It should arrive tomorrow.
I am seeking out a version of the late quartets I can live with over many years.
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
enjoy my friend
cheers
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Thanks for posting this, Rob. I'll have to track down that BBC series.
I started out at university as a classical composition major many moons ago, and although I got really drawn into the early 20th century stuff, I always considered Beethoven to be the absolute peak of genius -- especially his solo piano works and late quartets.
By the way, I was recently inspired by you to attempt a revival of some of my old classical guitar repertoire using a no-nails technique. I haven't gone full-on gut yet, but I've tuned down and have some Aquila Ambra's incoming. Fingers crossed! Literally!
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Originally Posted by Jehu
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Originally Posted by BWV
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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No problem. These are they:
Gut & Silk 900 | Aquila Corde Armoniche
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
amazing ...and we worry about best way to string round core thomastik jazz swings! hah
cheers
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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at the end of richard lesters great film-help- starring-the beatles...as they roll through end credits..beethoven is given a credit..and lester drops in audio of john lennon saying "famous beethoven!"...total disrespect by youth..a power always to be regarded...
in nyc, street corner girl groups were the wave..and the great producer shadow morton incorporated famous beethoven into it
pre lennon
a beethoven rabbit hole
cheers
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BTW - how are you feeling Rob?
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Thanks for posting this, Rob. The Fifth has always been my favorite piece of classical music, full stop. This remarkable reading is simply sublime. I clicked on the video meaning to listen to the first movement. That was 45 rapturous minutes ago.
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Originally Posted by GTRMan
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Originally Posted by citizenk74
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Can't remember seeing an orchestra's violin section on their feet - that's gotta help, why aren't the rest of 'em standing up too ?
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I don't know. Good to see, though. And, yes, it is a breathtaking performance.
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Best.
Elias Prinz -- young talent from Munich
Yesterday, 10:24 PM in The Players