Beethoven's Birthday

[miguelito 11417]

Today Beethoven would have been 250 years old, if he hadn't died a long time ago.

On another forum, I once asked for people to rank Beethoven's symphonies.  (6, 9, 5, 7, 8, 3,   421).  That lasted a few posts until someone ranked all of the movements.  Then someone took it to the point of listing favorite recordings of each movement.  That was pretty impressive. 

Anyway, happy bday, even if he never got his face on a bubble gum card.

 

 

 

[Mole 4338]

A very short and incomplete list of movements by Beethoven that move me right now:

Symphony no. 6, last movement — it sounds new to my ears even today; a pretty straightforward sonata-rondo form with nice horn fifths to make the A theme; it always reminds me of a Henry Mancini 80s TV theme song, like the Newhart show’s theme song but not at all

Symphony no. 3, 1st movement — so much drama in one note (c#); just one tense note and you have a whole movement

String Quartet no. 14, 1st movement — fugues, man; I’m not crying, you’re crying

GroßeFuge — more fugues, man; Beethoven was a time traveler from the future apparently, Schoenberg before there was Schoenberg and much more listenable and enjoyable; still challenging enough for our lazy ears 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Mole

[KaiserSoze 1016]

 

[Mole 4338]

If you don’t have time to listen to all of his symphonies, this is a little more time efficient:

It’s surprisingly listenable, although you mostly just hear 3, 5, and 9. Someone did a Haydn version that sounds like Ligeti.

[smuggs 9392]

 

[Cheeseweasel 26439]

21 hours ago, Mole said:

A very short and incomplete list of movements by Beethoven that move me right now:

Piano Sonata No. 8 might be the greatest composition ever. Fight me.

[Jerry Callo 8932]

Where does The Fifth of Beethoven from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack rank?

[Deej 77597]

I had a pretty good movement after the pot of chili I made last weekend. 

[sidis 9987]

On 12/16/2020 at 8:54 AM, miguelito said:

Today Beethoven would have been 250 years old, if he hadn't died a long time ago.

On another forum, I once asked for people to rank Beethoven's symphonies.  (6, 9, 5, 7, 8, 3,   421).  That lasted a few posts until someone ranked all of the movements.  Then someone took it to the point of listing favorite recordings of each movement.  That was pretty impressive. 

Anyway, happy bday, even if he never got his face on a bubble gum card.

 

 

 

http://www.shaggytexas.com/board/showthread.php/142591-Rank-Beethoven-s-Symphonies
 

good lord I wrote like lobo back then. 
 

[quote]got some rep requesting elaboration on rankings. just my opinions.

9th

4th Movement - obviously one of the most recognizable pieces of music globally for a reason. a lot of attention is typically given to schiller's poem and the exposition theme which is truly beautiful. however, honestly, the part that really grabs every time me is the 90 second bridge that typically occurs around the 13:00 minute mark of the movement depending on recording that leads up to the big crescendo. it is vivacious layering of strings and woodwinds that is so fast and intense. it blows my mind every time and is just impossible to believe a deaf person could be so masterful as to conceive and execute it so perfectly. i find it infuriating that my hearing is perfect and will never create something so amazing.  

1st Movement - the perfect exemplar of beethoven's mastery of minor key and the interweaving of multiple non-traditional chord harmonies. substantial layering that works beautifully like none other. all platitudes that can be applied to the breakthrough use of percussion should be applied to this movement.

3rd Movement - I likely differ from most who would prefer the molto vivace 2nd movement to the adagio in the 3rd. but sometime when you are in a quiet place, turn that movement on really loud. it is so contrasting to the other three movements and introduces a departure from the thunderous agitation to a place of peace. the secondary theme in the tenary meter is so peaceful. the slight crescendos are so so harrowing. then the recapitulation after those crescendos are perfect.

2nd Movement - intense, awesome. mastery of string-percussion layering that you have to put yourself in the early 1800's to appreciate how avant garde it really was. strangely positive in feeling.

3rd

2nd Movement - most people point the heroic first movement but it is actually the second that i prefer first. it is almost its own little symphony in and of itself. the adagio to start is subtle and calmly lurking below the surface. but then, at typically the 6 minute mark, out comes the crescendo...following that, the bridge, just like the 4th movement of the 9th, is my favorite part...typically starting at the 7 minute mark and lasting until the 9 minute mark. so foreboding and intense, great string work. very unlike anything before it. almost prophetic in terms of the degradation of his admiration for napoleon once he begins his conquests for all of europe. probably the greatest "depth" of any single movement beethoven wrote in my opinion and for me, marks the beginning of the transition from late classical to romanticism.

1st Movement - famous for a reason...great exposition. classic sonata form. phenomenal development at the typically 7 minute to 10 minute mark.

3rd Movement - short and sweet. very "uplifting." huge contrast to the sobriety of the second movement. nothing extraordinary about it imo.

4th Movement - starts off with so much promise but at the end, just kind of comes off like a triumphal march. classic 4th movement feel to it but almost sounds more like the end of a mozart opera to me than a beethoven symphony...just feels superficial to me. very few people share my opinion on this.

5th

4th Movement - unlike the 3rd symphony, the 4th movement of the 5th, while short, is how you do it with the triumphant finish. puts me in a great mood every time. impossible to understate how much of a breakthrough it was for a c-minor symphony. the darkness of the development that typically starts at the 2:30 mark that culminates in the upward string scales is so nicely placed in the midst of the jubilant sound of the rest of the movement.

1st Movement - inadvertently transposed 1 and 3 above. 1 is universal for a reason. sets the stage for the four key motif throughout the symphony. so different than anything before it. just fun to listen to.

3rd Movement - beethoven obviously never gave much importance to the 3rd movement until the 7th symphony...it is almost always a kind of upbeat, triumphant short theme. while the 5th is short and somewhat sticks with the upbeat sound, it is the more critical than any other before the 7th. it is free form which is different and it is the psychological anchor of the entire symphony.

2nd Movement - great depth in the strings, very lyrical, and very beautiful melody. continues the dramatic nature of the overall work particularly well for an andante con moto. kind of a constant tease...each crescendo cuts off just short of what you want it to be to get ultimate satisfaction. 4th movement does a great job of quenching that.

7th

2nd Movement - all about the second movement. so much building tension, such a great payoff. trance-inducing atmosphere created by the a-minor theme. not much needs to be said.

4th Movement - exudes joy...a bit superficial but not as bad as the 4th movement of the 3rd. strong eastern folk influence...very grand. fun to listen to.

3rd/1st Movement - not a huge fan of the 3rd or 1st movements and i actually meant to put the 1st before 3rd. the scherzo in the 3rd just doesn't appeal to me very much for some reason...too punchy and triumphant. 1st has a nice, slow introduction but the melodies are lacking in my opinion. i get why people think it's majestic but i'm kinda meh.

6th

4th Movement - better overall symphony than the 7th and if it weren't for my fondness for the second movement of the 7th alone, would definitely rank above. 4th movement is so thunderous and intense. an even greater appreciation comes when you put yourself in the time it came out along with the 5th. it must have blown the aristocrats' minds and put them on their asses. free form, great percussion obviously...though this movement, probably more than any other of beethoven's, is so dependent on the actual recording you get. so many of the conductors interpret the manuscript to not sustain the timpanis and it drives me crazy...ruins the movement for me. even though it's not remotely true, i always really liked the interpretation that was put forward by the movie immortal beloved about this particular movement and why he wrote it.

1st Movement - 1st movement does a great job of setting the stage of giving a provincial feeling by assigning strong elements of the movement to and emphasizing instruments more commonly used by poorer, less sophisticated rural music. you can just picture beethoven just wandering the woods while listening.

2nd Movement - if you like the almost baroque airiness qualities of some of the 1st movement, then the 2nd movement is made for you. up until the very end, almost sounds like vivaldi or bach wrote it. birds singing, etc...

5th Movement - a phenomenal finish like the 5th and 9th. the rondo elements give it its strong connections to nature/pastoral setting. it is simpler than most beethoven finishes but it is perfect for the rest of the 6th. it's weird, i really like the 6th and not so much the 3rd but you could make a compelling argument for their similarities...i suppose i just think the 5th movement of the 6th fits so much better with the rest of the piece's elements.

3rd Movement - this is the movement that most people probably associate with the 6th. beautiful motif repetition...really nuanced and well executed transitions from f major to d major.  

8th

there is a big break between the above and the rest in my opinion.

4th Movement - simplicty executed rather well. the rondo form brings a lot of playfulness to the piece.

1st Movement - odd for beethoven as there is no real "introduction" to the movement. unusual for him on a first movement. the lyricism of the melody is extremely baroque feeling, almost like a dancing minuet...but everything else is incredibly romantic. great juxtaposition. upon further review, i would probably say i prefer this more than the 4th.

3rd/2nd Movements - both are meh for me personally. too structured, almost classical in nature. frilly, even at loud points of the movements.

1st, 2nd, and 4th are all accomplishments by any other mortal but by beethoven, not worth trudging through them for me personally. 1st and 2nd symphonies are clearly him being oppressed by the conventions of the era though i really like the larghetto of the 2nd. the 4th is a victim of itself and its temporal placement with exception of the 2nd movement adagio. the violin section of the 4th's 2nd is tremendous and i can't imagine there is a violinist out there who doesn't greatly enjoy playing that movement.

beethoven rules.[/quote]

[HornOnTheBayou 9041]

My favorite part is when he jumps up on his hind legs and gives a big, sloppy, wet lick to Charles Grodin. Happy birthday to the craziest dog around!

[deadshank 24654]

This reminds me of the time Beethoven had to go to the super market for a few things.   Mozart, knowing Beethoven always forgot items while at the super market, reminded Beethoven to take and pay attention to his Chopin Liszt. 

[Cheeseweasel 26439]

52 minutes ago, deadshank said:

This reminds me of the time Beethoven had to go to the super market for a few things.   Mozart, knowing Beethoven always forgot items while at the super market, reminded Beethoven to take and pay attention to his Chopin Liszt.