Ludwig van Beethoven

 

Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1825)

Beethoven was a German composer of the late Classical Era. If there is a fact surrounding Beethoven which every schoolchild across the Earth might know, it must be his descent into deafness. Such an affliction is terrible no matter who you are, however it seems a person dedicated to music is a further tragedy. Beethoven's debilitating curse was most likely music history's greatest treasure, for his deafness presumably informed what treasured music was to come from the composer's pen.

Unlike any other composer I have set down words regarding, Beethoven was singularly lionized by musicians well beyond his lifetime. Some would say, his approach to music started a musical revolution of sorts, certainly ushering in a brand of Romanticism which was to come.

Despite the revolutionary aspect of Beethoven's musical career and compositions, I am always struck by how Classical the composer's music truly sounds. Sure, he greatly expanded many concepts about structure and form, orchestration and key relationships, etc, etc, however he was indeed a Classical Era composer through and through. 

Hector Berlioz, another composer greatly needing a presence on this blog, is most likely his closest successor, both in scope and era, demarcating the Classical Era from the Romantic Era. On the flip side, Haydn and Mozart are strong predecessors and contemporaries of Beethoven, a mantle Beethoven carried on and furthered whether he wanted to or not.

It has taken me some time to add Beethoven to this blog, some might say too long of a noticeable absence here. One of the reasons I am getting around to him now is because I have finished off Haydn's complete symphonies, plus some concertos, Mozart's complete symphonies, plus some concertos, not to mention quite a bit from Hummel and Cherubini, thus it seems ripe to continue on to Beethoven at this moment.

Aside from some symphony cycles and large choral works, I doubt there will be much added here, as I am not a listener who needs to hear every recording made under the Earth. Yet, there will be recordings added here and there as I come across them, especially the missing chamber works and solo music from the list below.

Recordings and reviews currently on hand
(Click orange links to visit a musing)
(Green links are reviews yet to come)

It takes a while for me to listen and re-listen before I post recordings. Everything listed below will pop up within a month or so. Green links will lead you to an online recording until I can get around to it.

Recordings
1981: Piano Concerto 5 (Serkin)
1983: Piano Concerto 1 (Serkin)
1983: Piano Sonata 14, 21, 23 (Barenboim)
1989: Overtures (Karajan)
1989: Symphony 6 & 8 (Weller)
1991: Overtures (Abbado)
1992: Mass in C (Gardiner)
1994: Creatures of Prometheus (Mackerras)
1995: Missa Solemnis (Solti)
1995: Symphony 3 & 5 (Gardiner)
1996: Egmont (Szell)
1996: Incidental Music (Abbado)
1996: Symphony 9 (Gardiner)
1997: Cantatas (Best)
1997: Large Choral Works (DGG Set)
    •  Cantatas (Thielemann)
    •  Choral Fantasy & Glorreiche Augenblick
    •  Mass in C Major & Meeresstille (Gardiner)
    •  Missa Solemnis (Levine)
    •  Christ on the Mount of Olives (Klee)
1997: Overtures (Levi)
1997: Piano Concerto 2 & 5 (Kissin)
1998: Symphony 5 (Reiner)
1999: Piano Concerto 4 (Grimaud)
2003: Christ on the Mount of Olives (Nagano)
2004: Violin Concerto (Heifetz)
2007: Symphonies (Karajan 70s)
2007: Symphony 4 & 7 (Jarvi)
2011: Symphonies (Chailly)
    •  Symphony 1 & 2

    •  Symphony 3 & 4
    •  Symphony 5 & 6
    •  Symphony 7 & 8
    •  Symphony 9 
2012: Triple Concerto (Karajan)
2013: Symphonies (Szell)
2014: Symphonies (Leibowitz)
2017: Piano Sonatas (Kovacevich)
2018: Piano Concertos (Ashkenazy)
2019: Choral Music (Tilson Thomas)
2019: Creatures of Prometheus (Segerstam)
2019: Egmont (Segerstam)
2019: Orchestral Songs (Segerstam)
2019: Piano Concertos (Andsnes)
2019: String Quartets (ABQ)
2020: King Stephen (Segerstam)
2020: Missa Solemnis (Karajan)
2020: Ruins of Athens (Segerstam)