David Hurwitz

[Daverz]

If you can't get enough Dave, here's a brief interview of everyone's favorite record critic by Brian Hannah:

[Belle]

Dave has recently nominated Ronald Brautigam as one of his "5 Greatest Beethoven Pianists".  He provides the criteria and I have to agree with him about his number 5 choice, Brautigam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_Z9tM3fKo&list=PLxV6VwFCe969lLGWQDkrPsdkjCUWKGdq3&index=26

[Kalevala]

Dave has recently nominated Ronald Brautigam as one of his "5 Greatest Beethoven Pianists".  He provides the criteria and I have to agree with him about his number 5 choice, Brautigam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_Z9tM3fKo&list=PLxV6VwFCe969lLGWQDkrPsdkjCUWKGdq3&index=26

Thanks for posting it.  I enjoyed his performance!

K

[Belle]

Brautigam's complete Beethoven Klaviersonaten are available, in separate movements, on YouTube and I've been listening to these.  I've tried unsuccessfully to buy that set through Amazon, for reasons I don't understand.

Not everybody likes these works played on fortepiano and I get that, but Brautigam makes a compelling case for that instrument with his performances (as Dave says).  We mustn't overlook the fact that the 'piano' evolved even during Beethoven's lifetime but he was unable to hear most of those changes in his later years!!

[Karl Henning]

Brautigam's complete Beethoven Klaviersonaten are available, in separate movements, on YouTube and I've been listening to these.  I've tried unsuccessfully to buy that set through Amazon, for reasons I don't understand.

Not everybody likes these works played on fortepiano and I get that, but Brautigam makes a compelling case for that instrument with his performances (as Dave says).  We mustn't overlook the fact that the 'piano' evolved even during Beethoven's lifetime but he was unable to hear most of those changes in his later years!!

Yes, he heard the music in his inner ear on the instrument he knew.

[Belle]

Yes, he heard the music in his inner ear on the instrument he knew.

It's something which has stayed with me in my more than 70 years on planet earth.  The inner ear, yes, but a profound understanding of musical structure and theory which allowed him to compose without an aural point of reference.  As we know it's possible to compose using the 'rules' of harmony but what Beethoven did was on another level;  another planet.  I've formed the view that he was pushing the boundaries from a theoretical standpoint but I've also thought that if he could have heard his music composed when he was profoundly deaf he might have said, "well, that didn't work so I might change it".  You might understand this yourself as a composer!!   Or at least what I'm driving at!!!