Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

[Opus106]

Hahaha, yes, nice idea I'm sure if we had tried to do this, we would still have been here adding pieces on our lists, Beethoven wrote a pile of compositions as high as the ceiling 

Ilaria

Being a GMG member, you cannot simply imagine about listing your favourites and leave it at that -- you do it! Day in and day out.

0:)

[Lisztianwagner]

Being a GMG member, you cannot simply imagine about listing your favourites and leave it at that -- you do it! Day in and day out.

0:)

Yes, you're right   What I meant before, it's that listing your favourite Beethoven works certainly needs quite a lot of time, just this; Beethoven composed so much music and so many masterpieces! 

[Brahmsian]

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106  "Hammerklavier"

[madaboutmahler]

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106  "Hammerklavier"

You're right Ray, how on earth could we leave out the Hammerklavier?!
Daniel

[Brian]

The concertos receive unsensational middle of the road performances (conductor Wit is a fine Beethovenian BTW).

Not at all surprised by this. <inserts solicitation to readers to distract everyone from Beethoven by talking about Wit's Schumann>

[Geo Dude]

This is a great thread.  Lots of information in it.

That said, recommendations on a favorite sixth symphony?

[karlhenning]

I like the one in the second Masur/Gewandhaus Orchester set, and also Abbado/Wiener Philharmoniker

[mszczuj]

This is a great thread.  Lots of information in it.

That said, recommendations on a favorite sixth symphony?

For me without any doubts Roy Goodman. Together with 1st and 5th by Huggett it is one of the highlights of The Hanover Band set.

In my second listening I really appreciated final played  by London Classical Players conducted by Roger Norrington - from the set which was for me great disappointment in the first listening.

[Geo Dude]

Thanks for the recommendations!  The sixth seems to be a hard one to nail properly.  Many of the reviews I see of symphony cycles complain about that one, at least.  (My memory isn't good enough to give my own opinion on the two recordings of the sixth I have on hand, Szell & Karajan's 60s sets.)

[Brian]

Thanks for the recommendations!  The sixth seems to be a hard one to nail properly.  Many of the reviews I see of symphony cycles complain about that one, at least.  (My memory isn't good enough to give my own opinion on the two recordings of the sixth I have on hand, Szell & Karajan's 60s sets.)

My top two 6ths for great performances and state-of-the-art sound quality are

Big, warm-hearted romantic sound, very slow: Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin
Fleeter, refreshing, more classical-sounding: the Jarvi CD Leon recommends

[mszczuj]

Big, warm-hearted romantic sound, very slow: Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin

I can't see any place for any slowness in Pastorale. How would all this short country folk music motifs work if played slowly?

[Renfield]

Thanks for the recommendations!  The sixth seems to be a hard one to nail properly.  Many of the reviews I see of symphony cycles complain about that one, at least.  (My memory isn't good enough to give my own opinion on the two recordings of the sixth I have on hand, Szell & Karajan's 60s sets.)

What I can definitely assert with some confidence is that the Karajan 1960s' cycle Pastoral Beethoven 6th is one of the worst symphonic recordings he's ever done, in terms of rendering the music he wanted to perform accurately, or sympathetically.

And to call me a Karajan aficionado would be an understatement, so this is no anti-Karajan propaganda.


Indeed, my personal favourite Beethoven 6th, among the many great versions in the catalogue, is Karajan's last one, from 1984.

However, there really are a number of excellent versions in the catalogue, modern and historical. What kind of 6th would you like?

[bhodges]

That said, recommendations on a favorite sixth symphony?

If you can stand the boxy sound, this live recording with Carlos Kleiber and the Bavarian State Orchestra is quite good. Incredibly, the recording was made from a cassette from Kleiber's son, who taped the concert in 1983. (Sorry, ASIN link isn't working for this.)

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Symphonie-No-Ludwig-van/dp/B00022XOAO

On a different subject, WQXR hosted 20+ pianists over the weekend to do all of the piano sonatas. They videotaped all of them, and they're available here:

http://www.wqxr.org/#/articles/wqxr-features/2011/nov/21/beethoven-piano-sonata-videos/

--Bruce

[Opus106]

. <- This 'full stop' seems to take care of the ASIN tags issue.
[asin]B00022XOAO[/asin]

On a different subject, WQXR hosted 20+ pianists over the weekend to do all of the piano sonatas. They videotaped all of them, and they're available here:

http://www.wqxr.org/#/articles/wqxr-features/2011/nov/21/beethoven-piano-sonata-videos/

--Bruce

Muchas gracias.

[starrynight]

Yes, you're right   What I meant before, it's that listing your favourite Beethoven works certainly needs quite a lot of time, just this; Beethoven composed so much music and so many masterpieces! 

Favourites I think are simply the works that have made a large impression on you in the past.  Doesn't mean others won't eventually attain that level too, or even fall away slightly (while still being greatly liked).

Symphony 6
String Quartet 12 Op127
Piano Sonata 30 op109
Coriolan Overture

[mc ukrneal]

Favourites I think are simply the works that have made a large impression on you in the past.  Doesn't mean others won't eventually attain that level too, or even fall away slightly (while still being greatly liked).

Symphony 6
String Quartet 12 Op127
Piano Sonata 30 op109
Coriolan Overture

Holy cow. Two out of the four are my favorites too (the bolded)! I don't know my favorite string quartet just yet, being relatively new to them. And I've never really focused so much on the overtures, so maybe need to acquire/dig them out (I think I have them all, but just in case - must be ready ).

[bhodges]

. <- This 'full stop' seems to take care of the ASIN tags issue.

Thanks, Navneeth - very helpful! (If that was posted elsewhere, I must have missed it.)

--Bruce

[Leon]

I happened to be reading the Wikipedia entry for the "Hammerklavier" sonata and came across this sentence; which struck me as somewhat ironic:

Even as progressive a musician as Richard Wagner, who appreciated the work and fully admired the late string quartets, held reservations for what he perceived as a lack of succinctness in its composition. (Emphasis mine.)

[Karl Henning]

You can't make this stuff up!

[Cato]

I happened to be reading the Wikipedia entry for the "Hammerklavier" sonata and came across this sentence; which struck me as somewhat ironic:

Even as progressive a musician as Richard Wagner, who appreciated the work and fully admired the late string quartets, held reservations for what he perceived as a lack of succinctness in its composition. (Emphasis mine.)

Hey!  Are you implying Wagner's music is not succinct?   

Eduard Hanslick remarked of Meistersaenger that a comic opera that lasted 5 hours became less comic!