Beethoven Was a Narcissistic Hooligan

Guardian ^ | 6/7/2005 | Dylan Evans

[pepsi_junkie]

This guy needs to get over the pretensious "music flows from the universe" thing. Should we be deprived of the Moonlight Sonata because this guy doesnt think it's mathematically correct?

[Age of Reason]

1. Bach

2. Handel

3. Everybody else

[justshutupandtakeit]

What about the Appassionata or the Hammerklaver Sonatas? Playing the latter would exhaust a soccer player.

[Borges]

Anyone here ever try to play Pathetique or Moonlight Sonata?

I played both. The first movement of the former and the last of the latter are the difficult ones. The Pathetique is his first representative composition in any form as far as I know. 1798! That was truly something new. that 3rd movement Rondo is fun to play. try the Hammerkalvier Sonata! It ends with a virtually unplayable fugue. I don't think he had actual performance in mind.

[sitetest]

Dear Borges,

"So who's going to start a Classial Music ping list!"

Why don't you?

I can be your first member. ;-)


sitetest

[Borges]

I'm not on here enough!

[Charles Martel]

"Great artist, flawed person" is a concept that likely goes back to the days of cave paintings.

Yep, everyone's a critic.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I LOVE Beethoven. It's not his fault about much of the crap composed after him. It's mostly the fault of government/foundation/university grants paying self-absorbed orchestral-jackson-pollacks to compose "important new works" that nobody wants to hear. The best music today comes from the private sector, i.e. FILM SCORES.

"Immortal Beloved" does a great job of showcasing some of Beethoven's brilliant works.

[Borges]

Serial Music went out of fashion in the 70s. thanksfully. Atonalism was needed but it ran its course.

[Cinnamon Girl]

AND, if you read Beethoven's own writing (like his will) you will see that he was fully aware of his personal isolation due to his deafness and a fear that the public would doubt his abilities if they knew he was deaf.

[annalex]

No.

Struggle for holiness is a intensely personal experience. Listen to his piano sonatas and you'll be a better Christian. This:

With Beethoven, however, we leave behind the lofty aspirations of the Enlightenment and begin the descent into the narcissistic inwardness of Romanticism. Mozart gives you music that asks to be appreciated for its own sake, and you don't need to know anything about the composer's life to enjoy it. Beethoven's music, on the other hand, is all about himself - it is simply a vehicle for a self-indulgent display of bizarre mood swings and personal difficulties.

is a false dichotomy.

[Killing Time]

Auntie is offering free downloads of its Beethoven symphony series here (and from what little I have heard it is not half bad):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/beethoven/downloads.shtml

The 7 day licence for 1-4 has expired but you will be able to get 5-9. Ah, the joys of State-owned broadcasting.

[Torie]

Putting aside the operas, Motzart's pretty little pieces are as about as interesting to my mind, and about as stimulating to my heart, as watching grass grow. Give me Beethoven over that any day of the week. Even better is Hindemeth, some of Richard Strass, Samuel Barber, Walton, Benjamin Britten, and some of Dvorak.

[Cyber Ninja]

And he didn't have any kids cause his instrument was baroque.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Philip Glass didn't get the memo. Although his music for "The Thin Blue Line" works.

[Blue Champagne]

He isn't a hooligan. He's just misunderstood.

--Beethoven's mom.

[Lx]

Like I said, I suck as a pianist though I can pound out the first movement of Moonlight Sonata or at least I used to be able to.

Anyone that can play both well has my respect.

try the Hammerkalvier Sonata! It ends with a virtually unplayable fugue. I don't think he had actual performance in mind.

Ok, now I'll have to dig that up.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Rather listen to Beethoven than emo!

[Lx]

Love the Appassionata Never heard the Hammerklaver Sonata that I know of but I will look it up...

[Killing Time]

Motzart's pretty little pieces are as about as interesting to my mind, and about as stimulating to my heart, as watching grass grow

The Clarinet Quartets? The Requiem?