Here’s a good soother for the soul – Haydn Piano Concerto #9 in G major second movement.

BUT THEN … a week later! Ian writes and says, Actually, the one I meant was No. 4, not 9 – my mistake. I like all of them, but it is the No. 4 that’s my favorite slow movement.

So now we have Haydn’s piano concerto #4 in G major second movement.

Enjoy

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He meant Beethoven.

Now I find myself slipping into some similar  ‘Beethoven vortex!’

With 503 pieces in my library; (each movement counts as 1) -  I’m also starting to wonder: Why listen to anything else? His music just ‘does the job’. The job of touching head and heart, disturbing, uplifting and challenging one’s musical conceptualizations. I offer this piece up as an example of “Music at it’s Best”

So what do you reckon dear listeners? Would you still tune in to jimsclassicalmusic.com? If all I played was the Big B?

here’s his String Quartet #16 the third movement

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNOj0VvTtg&feature=related

Played very well by Paul Lewis

I was listening to a debate on the radio some months ago on the theme: Was Beethoven the Greatest? I remember one of those who were voting ‘Yes’ – making a comment along the lines of how, as great as he was, sometimes you just had to wonder what in the hell he was doing! I think she meant that when he gets edgy and ‘out there’ it’s hard to figure out what he’s trying to accomplish musically or emotionally/spiritually … or any which way!

And how about the alchemical transitions he spins? Where he takes us from somnambulist/ hypnotic – to raging punk – like riffs in a minute.

Sometimes listening to Beethoven I find myself on the edge of my seat, almost holding my breath, to see what comes next. Where does a musical genius go after 8, 10 or 15  notes in a sequence that are like a child experimenting? Knowing, that said genius is not childlike, we wonder how his boundless musical savvy  is going to lead us out of it; and into… what?!

OK – here’s such a moment. Starting at 3:10 into this piece and going on to about 4:20. Who else but Beethoven could do this?

How did he take us from there to there? Magic stuff. Actually this entire Sonata movement is ‘somethin’ else’!

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Beethoven: Pathetique sonata second movement

Handel: Trio sonata for 2 violins & continuo in G minor, Op. 2/8, HWV 393 (doubtful): Largo

Schumann: Symphonic Etudes / Anhang variation V

Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto in C major / largo

Clara Schumann: Drei Romanzen op. 22 / Andante molto  (arranged for horn and piano

Chopin: Cantabile in Bb

Devienne: Sonata in G major, Op. 71, No. 1: II. Adagio

Rachmaninoff: Prelude 23/4

Brahms: Clarinet sonata no. 1  in  F minor

Handel: Concerto grosso Op. 3 No. 1 in B-flat major

Mozart: Piano concerto 21 / Andante

Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves

JS Bach: Schafe Konnen Sicher Weiden

Handel: Ombra Mai Fu

Elgar: Sospiri, Op. 70

Puccini – O Mio Babbino Caro

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Earlier he says, This is truly great Beethoven playing. It brings to mind the old recordings of Solomon, Hungerford, Myra Hess or Clara Haskil.

Wow – High praise indeed. Funny thing is .. I think I can hear it! Time to go shopping for much more of Fliter’s Beethoven.

here’s her take on the second movement of Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata

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How about some more Ingrid! Here’s Chopin’s Waltz #8 op. 64 no. 3 in A flat

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And some Schumann: Symphonic Etudes op. 13 Anhang variation V

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Howdy Jim,

Here’s another one for the beauty competition – Beethoven Sonata for Piano & Violin No 5 / 2nd movement.

OK Ian … here it is!

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Thanks,

Jim

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In a letter Brahms says something to the effect `Nobody seems to understand Haydn nowadays. For years he gave us all our music’. Whatever precisely Brahms meant, it seems to me that the complete transformation in the idiom of music that made the music of Mozart and everyone since so astoundingly different from the music of Bach was Haydn’s achievement, and his alone.

What Brahms wrote – … ‘he gave us all our music’ – seems to imply what a  huge trans-formative influence he had on the great Classical composers who followed.

Here’s a piece I’ve just been listening to. It floats my boat! Hope it does yours too.

Horn Concerto #1 / second movement

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