Kevin's Watch

Well, don't let me comments on him let you down! He's just not, ahem, my type. Kempff and Arrau are both great--just for different reasons.

Really, I was considering Kempff myself, since his set was cheaper. But Arrau had the piano concertos in his set, and I haven't heard them. But yeah; Arrau or Kempff. They're so high up there on the pedestal of great pianists that whoever you choose it's win-win!

I have always been a Beethoven fan ever since I was a little child. My mother would play Fur Elise just about every day so it's all her fault. Moonlight Sonata is very emotional and moving to me. I also agree with MM in that his 1st Symphony is overated. I also recently saw "Immotal Beloved" on DVD. I really liked the film, I don't know what you folks think about it but it was interesting to see how what was going on in his world influenced his music. He was quite the genius.

Like Amadeus, Immortal Beloved takes liberties with the facts that we know. No big deal, though, I absolutely love both movies. As well as Impromptu, which is about Chopin, his girlfriend George Sand, Liszt, and their gang.

safetyjedi wrote: I also agree with MM in that his 1st Symphony is overated.

Huh? Actually, um, I think Beethoven's 1st Symphony is underrated.

I also recently saw "Immotal Beloved" on DVD. I really liked the film, I don't know what you folks think about it but it was interesting to see how what was going on in his world influenced his music. He was quite the genius.

I only saw the movie once, when it first came out in theatres. It was okay, but I remember it as being a little goofy and a little too pretentious. (Yeah, yeah, classical stuff is pretentious by default, etc., etc.) Gary Oldman was good: it was inspired casting to have him play the "wild man" of classical music. But he can carry a not-so-brilliant movie by himself only so far.

Anyway, just wanted to say I listened to Simon Rattle's recording of Symphonies 1 and 3 with the Vienna Philharmonic, and I have to report I'm quite disappointed by both the sound and the performance. The rich Vienna sound I had been expecting wasn't there, only a rather dry, lifeless sound. And Rattle is underwhelming in his direction of the music, which is surprising, as I've come to expect fire and brimstone from his conducting. Not much evidence of passion in this recording, I'm afraid. I had been looking forward to Rattle's Beethoven, but this recording has killed my enthusiasm for the rest of the symphony cycle.

That caught my eye, MM, that you thought that the Vienna Philharmonic didn't sound up to form with Rattle conducting. I always was of the opinion that the Vienna was such a great orchestra that it could go into "autopilot" with just about any conductor and still sound great. I guess I'll have to revise that opinion.

I think I mentioned before that a highlight of mine was seeing Leonard Bernstein in concert conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of Beethoven's 7th.

That would have been heavenly, Damelon. You know you're more than welcome if you want to pop over the Lake and hear the Vienna play Schubert next spring.

I enjoyed Immortal Beloved, just as I enjoyed Amadeus. You have to take everything in both movies with a grain of salt, as they are historical fiction rather than factual biography, but both films give you a flavor of the times these two great composers lived in. For example, I vaguely knew that Beethoven lived in the Napoleonic era, but I didn't truly make the emotional connection on how living during a continental wide war might have affected him until I saw the movie.

Well, I had always thought that the Vienna was the finest group of classical musicians in the world, year in and year out. They really have an awesome reputation. I hope they will be on form next year when they are on tour, especially considering I have already purchased two tickets.

Damelon, maybe I'm being too harsh on Simon Rattle. It's a completely subjective thing: I tend to hold conductors to a higher standard than usual when it comes to Beethoven's symphonies, as these are very special works of music to me. If I feel that conductors fall short of doing justice to Beethoven's music, then I fall on them like a ton of bricks.

But that's just my ears. It's entirely possible that you and Duchess might listen to this recording by Rattle and love it, and wonder what is that windbag Matrixman complaining about? Heh, Beethoven's music gets very personal.

I think I mentioned before that a highlight of mine was seeing Leonard Bernstein in concert conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of Beethoven's 7th.

Bernstein. Vienna. Beethoven's 7th. What more needs to be said? That was a rare privilege you had, Damelon. Awesome!

Bernstein and the Vienna players had a special magic together. Talk about a great Vienna sound! The orchestra was always magnificent under Lenny's direction in their recordings of Beethoven, Mahler and Mozart. I guess this was what Rattle was competing with in my mind. (Well, I was also judging Rattle by the standard of Beethoven performance set by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. Not giving poor Simon a break, am I?)

Re: Amadeus - I love the soundtrack but I've never actually seen the movie. Being that this is one of Fist&Faith's favorite films, he's gonna come after me with his freakin' fearsome fists of doom.

The soundtrack to Amadeus is glorious -- my first introduction to Mozart.

While, as I said, historical fiction, it does give a flavor of the times and life of Mozart -- his complicated relationship with his father, the nasty court intrigues and petty one-upmanship of the musician/courtiers -- and the hints of a world about to change forever with the French Revolution looming on the horizon...

Happy Birthday, Ludwig! 235 today!

Sirius is playing the symphonies, in order, this afternoon. I think I've got my afternoon charted out.

Sorry I missed ol' Ludwig's B-day. That's a lot of years.

Sirius, eh? Satellite radio was only recently approved in Canada as a legitimate service. Before that, people were already receiving U.S. satellite radio, but through illegal means. That's what I heard. Personally, though, I haven't followed the radio scene for years. Of course, that would probably make me the ideal audience for satellite radio to target.

I celebrated the Great One's birthday by hearing his Ninth Symphony in concert last Friday. It was a wonderful experience. Everyone leaving the concert was whistling, humming, or singing the Ode to Joy theme song.

Beethoven's 9th symphony premiered in Vienna today.

Oh friends, not these tones!
Rather let us sing more
cheerful and more joyful ones.
Joy! Glad joy!

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We approach fire-drunk,
Heavenly One, your shrine.
Your magic reunites
What custom sternly divides;
All people become brothers

Wish I could've been there. But then I wouldn't be here.

I'm still of the opinion that Beethoven's Fourth Symphony is good music to fall asleep to, the volume softly playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBXRd0tgJHI

Every now and then I feel like listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHOYvIhLxo