[Publius]

THE CHAMBER MUSIC OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Sonata for Piano and Violin in E-flat, Op. 12/3

This sonata got Beethoven into trouble with the critics in their initial reviews. Lou went off into the wilds of keys with a large number of flats, something that just wasn’t done for an instrument whose strings are tuned to sharp keys. Although Lou had written these sonatas with Rudy Kreutzer in mind, the initial performance was given with someone else. This was the first time Rudy missed out on immortality with a Beethoven sonata, and it wouldn’t be the last. The violinist in the first performance was Ignaz Schuppanzigh, and Iggy would become the first violinist of the quartet that premiered all of Lou’s string quartets in the years to come.

The first movement in E-flat and 4/4 is marked “allegro con spirito”, which does not mean “quickly and with alcohol”. You’ll note there is a lot less Mozart and a bit more Beethoven in this sonata. E-flat had a habit of bringing out Lou’s best. The second subject is in the expected B-flat. The exposition is repeated. At 4:45, Lou rolls right into a development section that ranges through the flat keys: one flat yields to two, three, four, five, six and finally seven flats in C-flat Major. (At least that’s the same as B Major, which is five sharps.) At 6:09 Beethoven restores sanity with a return to E-flat, but his transitional passage is in A-flat, leading to the second subject in the correct key of E-flat. It’s quite a journey. He ends it decisively.

The slow movement in C Major and 3/4 time is marked “adagio con molta espressione”, and the “molta” is new to a fairly standard Beethoven direction. He wants a lot of expression here. He staggers the left an right hand a half-beat off each other. (Schumann would later make this his trademark.) The middle section of this ternary piece goes into high flat keys with the violin singing over an arpeggio accompaniment on the piano. Beethoven re-composes his return to the first theme and ends it quietly.

The finale is a rondo in 2/4 that returns to E-flat. It’s marked ‘allegro molto” which we all know by now. This is the closest Lou is going to get to Mozart. In the third subject, Lou once again goes into the wilds of flat keys. For his coda, Beethoven turns to a brilliant fugue leading to a bravura finish.

This video features Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis. Lambert’s period instrument work in the Schubert trios is setting the standard for the genre.

Beethoven: Violin Sonata in E-flat, Op. 12/3

Next week it’s the Quintet for Piano & Winds and the Septet for Strings & Winds.

[ConorMacNessa]

OPERATION EAGLE CLAW



Burned U.S. Helicopter – Operation Eagle Claw



From Air Force Historical Support Division website:
24-25 April 1980

Excerpt:

In the weeks before the mission, USAF combat controllers covertly deployed into Iran to prepare the landing site at Desert One. The mission began on April 24, 1980, when the first MC-130, carrying the mission commander and USAF combat controllers, arrived at the landing site. The combat controllers were tasked with establishing the airstrips and marshalling the aircraft once they had landed. Soon after the first MC-130 arrived, the plan began to fall apart. First, a passenger bus approached on a highway bisecting the landing zone. The advance party was forced to stop the vehicle and detain its 45 passengers. Soon, a fuel truck came down the highway. When it failed to stop, the Americans fired a light anti-tank weapon which set the tanker on fire and lit the surrounding area. Finally, a pickup truck approached but turned around and departed the area. The assault team commanders, however, decided to continue with the mission. Soon the other five MC-130s aircraft arrived at Desert One to wait for the helicopters. The RH-53 helicopters departed the Nimitz and were en route to Desert One. During the flight, two helicopters aborted because of flight instrument and mechanical problems while the pilot of a third helicopter decided to continue on to Desert One despite hydraulic problems. Soon the remaining six helicopters encountered an unexpected severe dust storm and proceeded individually to Desert One, arriving nearly an hour behind schedule.

Once at Desert One, the RH-53 with hydraulic problems could not be repaired, which left the team with one less helicopter than was required to carry the assault team and hostages. With just five helicopters available, the on-scene commander aborted the mission. The plan then shifted to getting the assault team back on the MC-130s while the helicopters refueled and returned to the Nimitz. At that point, tragedy struck. One of the helicopter's rotor blades inadvertently collided with a fuel-laden EC-130. Both aircraft exploded, killing five airmen on the EC-130 and three marines on the RH-53. The team commanders ordered the remaining helicopters abandoned and everyone to board the EC-130s, which soon departed for Masirah Island. With that, Operation Eagle Claw came to an end. President Carter was notified of the mission's failure, and the wreckage at Desert One was broadcast to the world by the Iranian government. In the remaining months of his presidency President Carter continued to work toward the hostages' release, although the government of Iran did not do so until the day of President Ronald W. Reagan's inauguration on January 20, 1981.

A number of significant lessons were learned from Operation Eagle Claw, which led to the establishment of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and its USAF component, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The operation also highlighted the necessity of Joint planning and training.

Capt Gregory Ball, USAFR, Ph.D.