Thursday, January 2, 2020
January 6, 2020: What do you know about Beethoven's Symphonies?
Your first daily blog entry is due on Monday, January 6 at 9 am – please note that this is before class begins! For this entry, please write 250-500 words on what you know about Beethoven’s symphonies. How have you experienced them? Have you heard them live in concert, or only on recordings? Have you taken part in a performance of any of them? If so, in what context (youth symphony, community orchestra, etc.)? Besides recordings, the concert hall, and performances you’ve taken part in, where else have you experienced Beethoven’s symphonies? These blog entries will become part of the first discussion and help us frame the rest of the project.
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Like many others, I grew up listening to classical music. I knew Vivaldi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Holst, and Shostakovich, but Beethoven was my uncontested favorite, and his symphonies stood above all else. I don't remember a time when I didn't know and love them. In fact, I probably heard a few before I was even born. Home video from November 1998 shows me singing the tune of Ode to Joy under my breath, dropping a beat here and there, but fully aware of the anticipation into the final part of the phrase. I was three.
ReplyDeleteMy earliest experiences with Beethoven's symphonies were with the CD set by Janos Ferencsik and the Hungarian State Orchestra, which I listened to over and over. I also repeatedly watched Disney's Fantasia and enjoyed Stokowski's interpretation of Symphony No. 6. When I got a bit older, I listened to Bernstein and Karajan and suffered through Toscanini. In college I heard a bit of Barenboim (too heavy for me) and Chailly (too fast, metronomic, and mannered) and listened to Harnoncourt (once through was enough).
I've heard symphonies 3, 5, 7, and 9 live in concert. None were great. I've played 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 with student orchestras (volunteer for No. 1, high-school for No. 5, conservatory for the rest). I'll get the chance to play No. 5 with a professional orchestra this spring. I've studied No. 1 in conducting class, and explored a bit of No. 4 as well. As an orchestral musician, I'll get the chance to play all 9 in concert. I would like to conduct them someday too.
My favorite interpretation of Beethoven's symphonies is by Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (released in 2013). Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 are magnificent. I described them as "a revelation" at the time and stand by that assessment today. Symphonies 5 and 6 unfortunately fall a little flat. The recordings are live, after all, and things don't always click in concert. The attention to detail from the other symphonies is still present, but the consistent clear phrasing is missing, as is the perfect sense of balance, and, most importantly, the infectious, unbridled joy. No. 9 also doesn't quite yield to Jansons method.
I haven't found a Beethoven 9 that can top Furtwangler's 1954 Lucerne performance. I also haven't found a 9th more terrifying than the same conductor's wartime recording (the timpani become machine guns, the orchestra a tank), one zanier than Mengelberg's (why oh why would you ever put a ritardando at the end you crazy, crazy man), or one more unfeeling and alien than Abbado's with Berlin (my dad begged me to let him turn it off when the second movement showed no signs of being better than the first). I'm currently exploring different interpretations of Symphony No. 9 and would welcome any recommendations!
https://youtu.be/q4KJd4sSTIk
DeleteOne of the ways I interact with Beethoven’s symphonies on a regular basis is by playing excerpts from them. The standard Beethoven excerpts for horn are from Symphony No. 3 (the second horn part from the trio in the third movement), Symphony No. 6 (the first horn part in the first and fifth movements), Symphony No. 7 (the first and second horn parts in the first movement), and Symphony No. 9 (the fourth horn solo in the third movement). I played some of these when I was auditioning for college, and again the past few years to audition for festivals and to familiarize myself with standard repertoire. I’ve never played an entire one of Beethoven’s symphonies in an orchestra, but I’ve heard Symphony No. 4 in concert once, and Symphony No. 6 in concert twice. One of Oberlin’s orchestras played Symphony No. 4 my first year, and I heard Symphony No. 6 at The Cleveland Orchestra last year, and at a festival I went to two years ago.
ReplyDeleteI listen to recordings of Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No. 7 somewhat frequently; there’s a Berlin Philharmonic album on Spotify that has a particularly audible second horn, which I always like to hear. I would say those are the two are the symphonies I’m most familiar with, outside of merely knowing the excerpts for my instrument. Additionally, it’s always a fun activity to listen to different recordings of the beginning of Symphony No. 5 movement three and hear how dissimilar the stylistic choices in the horn entrance are.
Almost all of the music history classes I’ve taken at Oberlin so far have talked about some amount of Beethoven’s symphonies. Music History 101 spent time on Symphony No. 5, which I returned to in Music of the Romantic Era. In both classes, this work delved into the concept of the sublime, looking at some of ETA Hoffman’s writings in the latter class, as well as motives, sonata form, and sonata cycle. In Music of the Classic Era, we talked about Symphony No. 6 to examine the program behind it, and in The History and Development of Musical Instruments, we looked at Symphony No. 9 to learn about orchestration.
I imagine my blog will likely stand out among the participants of the class because I've never really experienced Beethoven's symphonies in any meaningful way. I've never performed them nor have I ever seen them live. That I know them at all is due largely to their frequent use in movies and television, particularly the old Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes cartoons that leaned heavily on classical music if I remember correctly. Beethoven's Fifth is the one I'm the most familiar with, as I'm sure many people are. I'm ashamed to admit it but I had to pull up a youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHcm9sS94iE) to remind myself which songs I was thinking of were actually Beethoven and which were done by other classical musicians.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest reasons I'm taking this class is I've always had a sort of second-hand admiration for Beethoven in that I know he's one of the greatest and yet I don't really know why and have never really been in a position or environment to delve deeply into his music.
- Hartley Wise
I started to learn about Beethoven's symphonies almost at the time when I began to play his pieces. As a pianist, I don't really have a chance to play in an orchestra for performing his symphonies, and I haven’t got a chance to listen to any of these symphonies in the concert hall. However, I did listen to all the symphonies through recordings and CDs. I love the ninth and fourth most, but I don’t really have a preference on the orchestras or conductors. The melodies and motives of the music itself is the most important element that attracts me. After reading some Beethoven’s biographies and critics written by musicologists, I’m keeping a vague picture of these nine symphonies currently, but I haven’t learn deep into the musical details.
ReplyDeleteSymphony No.1 in C major, Op.21 is Beethoven’s first symphony, written and performed in his thirties. It is a symphony of notes typical of the classical composers of Highton and Mozart's generation, and in many ways inherits the tradition of Highton's symphonies. Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.36 is written in 1802, while Beethoven is tortured by his ear disease. At the same period of time he composed the famous “moonlight” sonata. Symphony No.3 in E-flat Major, also known as the "Eroica"Op.55, is composed in the spring of 1804. The symphony was written for Napoléon at the invitation of the French Ambassador in Vienna. On the manuscript, Beethoven wrote the title, "The Great Napoléon Buonaparte symphony. ". It was during the French Revolution, and Napoléon was an ideal, a modern Prometheus, a hero to Beethoven. But when Napoléon became king, Beethoven became angry and felt that the title was not appropriate for Napoléon's admiration, and changed it to "Symphony No. 3, " as if it were a tribute to a great man. Symphony No.4 in B flat major, Op.60. This symphony is Beethoven's Ode to life, to youth, and it is a work of clarity, poetry, sentiment and tenderness, with many subtle, rich details. The work was finished in 1806. During that period of time, Beethoven was in love, which drove him to compose a symphony based on this cheerful and positive atmosphere. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, the “Fate” Symphony, is one of the most famous works of him. The symphony is one of the most philosophical of Beethoven's works, and it is a true reflection of Beethoven's triumph and strength of heart. Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, “Pastoral” Symphony. The subtitle was added by Beethoven himself. In this symphony, it is very clear that the composer for the happy love life, for the simple customs of the people, for the wonderful nature is so love. In Beethoven's essays, it is clearly documented as a piece of work -- a work that reflects the rural life style and its amorous feelings. The description of the scenery reflects the expectation of the ideal life. I’m not really familiar with the seventh and eighth symphonies, but the ninth is the one introduced me to Beethoven. I was singing the “Ode to Joy” when I was still in kindergarten, and this excerpt is also the most popular one in Asia. It has been used and extended in a great amount of literature, art and films.
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ReplyDeleteBeethoven’s symphonies are something that have been a part of my life since I was very young. I grew up in a musical family – both of my parents are opera singers – and we often attended orchestra concerts for my local Orlando Philharmonic orchestra. I’ve experienced them through recordings, pop culture, live performances, and by performing them myself.
ReplyDeleteLive in concert, I have heard the 5th, 6th, and 9th symphonies, from the Orlando Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra since I’ve been here at Oberlin. I found these performances really enlightening as my first live exposures to the symphonies and I also really value the journey they took me through as an audience member.
Coincidentally, I have also performed the three symphonies that I’ve heard live. I performed the 5th at Interlochen Arts Camp on an extremely hot – and ever sharper – stage. The other two I performed with my youth orchestra back home in Orlando.
The remainder of the nine symphonies I have heard recordings of, but I’m not knowledgeable about the different ones available and general feelings – which I’m sure exist – about which recordings are the most valuable and/or enjoyable and why. I’m excited to expand my knowledge in these areas through this project.
The third symphony, Eroica, features a famous oboe excerpt near the beginning of the funeral march. Consequently, I’ve worked through this symphony’s part multiple times and listen to it often in preparation for the auditions that call for the excerpt. In addition, the fifth symphony features the famous oboe cadenza that takes some imagination on the part of the performer to play it correctly. I look forward to learning more about all the symphonies through this project!
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ReplyDeleteAs a trombonist, I would only have the opportunity to play on five movements spread through three of Beethoven’s symphonies (5,6, and 9). However, I’ve been an avid listener since middle school. My brother, father, and I used to play different movements from different Beethoven symphonies to quiz each other on how well we knew each work, my brother and I ranking the symphonies according to our favorites. Since then, I’ve studied the scores of his 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th and have seen a few performed live.
ReplyDeleteBy far the best experience I’ve had listening to a Beethoven symphony was the Cleveland Orchestra’s latest performance of the 7th under the baton of Klaus Mäkelä. Mäkelä led the Orchestra to a highly emotive performance to a degree rarely seen from this great ensemble. The Orchestra came alive in an inspiring performance, including a lively yet delicate first movement, an expressively fragile second movement, a third movement which drew appropriate contrast while remaining lively and joyful, and a wonderful conclusion that left nothing more to be desired. Perhaps it was the resounding success of this performance that left me disappointed with Cleveland’s performance of the 3rd just a few weeks later under Jakub Hrůša. Bias aside, it was another quality performance from one of America’s leading orchestras, but was otherwise not very memorable.
I don’t have much experience with Beethoven’s symphonies live. While in college, I find myself sifting through different recordings when I’m in the mood, with the occasionally deeper dive into the scores at the library to further my understanding of Beethoven’s music, or the genre of the symphony. I’m looking forward to studying the symphonies in a greater capacity, and hopefully returning to my brother with a more informed personal ranking.
Even though I am familiar with a big chunk of Beethoven’s music, I don’t know and haven’t heard many of his symphonies. This fact came as an unpleasant surprise to me, and I wanted desperately to change this, so I am excited for this wonderful opportunity to listen to and learn more about these symphonies.
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas (of which I have performed three), piano concertos (in fact, I have performed no. 1 in C Major), his one violin concerto, and chamber music. I have also performed his 32 Variations in C minor, Wo0 80. Of his symphonies, I am quite familiar with the 6th, 7th and 8th. I also know the main themes of the beginning movements of the 3rd and 5th and the last movement of the 9th. I only know these themes because they are arguably the most popular (to the general audience) aspects of these pieces.
The only symphony I’ve heard live is the 7th, with Fabio Luisi conducting the Dallas Symphony Orchestra last April. The performance was spectacular; Luisi took the Allegretto at a boldly fast pace, which enabled the music to flow. This was appropriate after all, since the movement is marked Allegretto, meaning moderately fast. All three of the fast movements were appropriately exuberant and energetic. I have heard symphonies 6, 7, and 8 on records of Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony (my record collection has all 9 symphonies). Compositionally, I enjoy the 6th the most because it portrays sounds from nature and country life authentically.
I only know a little bit about the symphonies and their composition. I know that the 3rd symphony (“Eroica”) marks the start of Beethoven’s middle period, and that it divided critics’ and audiences’ opinions with its complexity and length. The second movement has been frequently used alone as a funeral march at state funerals, memorial services, and commemorations. For example, in 1972, Rudolf Kempe directed the Munich Philharmonic in the Adagio at the funeral of the Israeli athletes killed in the Munich Olympic massacre. As for the 9th, I know that it is the antecedent to the “choral symphony”. Beethoven’s decision to include a choir and solo voices in the last movement greatly influenced other composers, such as Mahler. In the last movement, Beethoven uses Friedrich Schiller’s poem, An Die Freude, as the text.
Since these works are so frequently written about and so famous, I am eager to learn more about the history behind them and to listen to all of them. Given that I love Beethoven and am so familiar with most of his other work, I feel it is about time to fill this gap!