May 28, 2005
grosse fugue op.133
The BBC’s Radio 3 will be playing every single last note of Beethoven between the 5th and 10th of June. Rock on.
Beethoven is it for me. All the other geniuses– Michaelangelo, Mozart, Louis Armstrong, Van Gough, Saul Steinberg, Jane Austen, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Einstein etc– are secondary.
We think we know his work. Da da da dum etc. But seriously, how many of us have actually listened to Beethoven’s Ninth from beginning to end, in one sitting? It’s is a screaming hymn to humanity, triumphant and reflective and longing and unapologetic, when absorbed in its entirety.
Here’s a tip: a classical musician friend of mine once descrtibed Track 1 on this CD, Grosse Fugue Op.133 as “the greatest piece of music ever written, played by the greatest string quartet in the world.” He was not far wrong. I first heard the recording a few years before my friend gave me his glowing review.
Beethoven has been dead for over 150 years, and yet today it still sounds avant guarde, especially in the hands of Arditti & Co.
The first time I heard it, I was blown away. Never, before or since, had a piece of music fried my head in such a mind-expanding moment of incandescent lucidity.
“I’m Beethoven. And you’re not.” Heh.
[PS: My other fave composers are Bach, Schubert, Faure and Janicek.]
I’ve never heard this recording of the Grosse Fugue, Hugh, so I’ll reserve judgment. However, my wife and I were fortunate enough to hear the Guarneri String Quartet play the complete Beethoven quartet cycle at the Metropolitan Musuem of Art several years ago. These four musicians played together for over 30 years before David Soyer, their magnificent cellist, retired a couple of years ago. Their performances were absolutely sublime.
Here’s their recording of Op. 133.
http://tinyurl.com/bffey
Enjoy!
Yep Hugh, #133, that’s the one that causes blindness while driving, for me anyway. That’s why I keep my Beethoven Late String Quartets CD in the house. (Incidentally performed by a 60s edition Guarneri Quartet…hope I’m getting a good “interpretation”.)
Gabe, I like the Arditti interpretation because it’s just so utterly hard-edged “modern”. You can tell how ahead of his time Beethoven was, when you listen to it.
Even better, the BBC Philharmonic are playing every one of his symphonies live at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, UK this month. In fact, the performance of the 9th you hear on Radio 3 might actually be a live performance from the Bridgewater, we shall wait and see.
Last Friday and Saturday were the 1st/3rd and 2nd/4th/5th respectively. I initially booked tickets for just the Friday, but after Eroica (one of my all time favourites) decided it would be churlish not to get stuck into the rest.
The remaining performances are on in mid-June. However, I for one feel that with the exception of the 3rd movement of the 7th, the best has probably passed. Nothing can top Eroica. Especially as the conductor of the beeb phil decided to rush the first movement of the 5th on Saturday and it sounded a touch muddled.
Plus, as much as I love Ludwig, my musical heart still lies loyal to the more lyrical music of Tallis or Saint-Saens. I am weak, I know.
Anyway, here’s to a week solid of BBC3 goodness.
monteverdi.