Updates about classical music
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Piano trio, variations on “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” theme “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” (I am Kakadu the tailor) was the name of a popular tune from Wenzel Muller’s opera “Die Schwestern von Prag…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy — his beautiful song, An die ferne Geliebte to contemplate the future. Alois Jeitteles was a young physician who was also making a name for himself as a poet when he wrote the six poems which…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Fifth piano concerto Beethoven’s fifth and last piano concerto was published in 1810 in French-occupied Vienna, but not performed until the following year in Leipzig. The Vienna premier took place in 1812, with Beethoven’s pupil…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy — Fourth Piano Concerto Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto is unique in that it opens not with a grandiose orchestral introduction, but with a serene statement of the ideas by the piano soloist. Following its public premiere…
Beethoven: Spark of Joy – Oratorio, Op. 85, Christ on the Mount of Olives Beethoven’s little-known oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives, Op. 85”, is considered a failure by most critics and scholars today, and they insist that Beethoven…
Beethoven: Spark of Joy – Piano concerto No. 3, Op. 37 in C-minor. Beethoven premiered his third piano concerto in 1803 at a massive benefit concert, which also featured the premieres of his Second Symphony, the oratorio “Christ on the…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 Beethoven’s five piano concerti were written between 1793 and 1809. The first two were quite experimental, intending to fill the palpable void in Vienna for this…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Opus 9, no. 3, string trio: Foreshadows Later Great Works The third of the Opus 9 string trios is a masterwork in C-minor, the tonality associated with some of Beethoven’s most dramatic works (think of…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – String Trio, Opus 9, No. 2 The Opus 9 no. 2 string trio differs from its siblings in its quietly introspective character, with Beethoven’s melodic genius fully on display, especially in the second and fourth…
Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Opus 9, No. 1: A Gem Trio Dedicated to an Irishman Who Served in the Russian Army! Beethoven’s Opus 9 is a delightful set of three string trios, deserving of broader popularity than they enjoy…