December 15, 2014.Beethoven and Kodali.Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16th, 1770 – at least that’s the accepted date: no direct record of his birth exists, but we know that he was baptized on the 17th.We celebrate his birthday by going through his piano sonatas.This way, even if seemingly arbitrary, is as good as any: Beethoven’s piano sonatas are the not just an essential part of piano literature, they represent a pinnacle of European music.Last year it was Sonatas nos. 2 and 3, op. 2.This year we move on to Sonata no. 4, op. 7, in E-flat Major and the opus 10.Sonata no. 4 was written in 1796.By then Beethoven was living in Vienna (he had moved there from Bonn four years earlier).One of his benefactors, Prince Lichnowsky, provided him with living quarters.Young and cocky, Beethoven was widely acknowledged as a great piano virtuoso.He played in all major salons of the city, often improvising during the concerts.These improvisations brought him great acclaim.He composed, but not as extensively as he would just a couple year later.He also traveled: to Prague, with Lichnovsky, then to Pressburg (now Bratislava).Sonata no. 4 was published in 1797 and was dedicated to Babette Keglevich, Beethoven’s pupil.We know very little about Babette, except that she came from an old noble family, originally from Croatia, and that clearly she was a very good pianist – the sonata is technically quite difficult.It’s also pretty long, running about 28 minutes.Only Hammerklavier, no. 29 Op. 106 is longer.We’ll hear it in the 1975 performance by Sviatoslav Richter.
The next sonatas, op. 10, were written two years later, in 1798.1798 was the year that General Bernadotte, the ambassador of the French Directory and the future King of Sweden (as Charles XIV), arrived in Vienna.It’s believed that it was Bernadotte who suggested to Beethoven that he write a symphony dedicated to the young, successful general by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte.Beethoven did write a symphony, his third (we know it as Eroica) and initially dedicated it to Napoleon, but once Napoleon proclaimed himself the emperor of France, Beethoven withdrew the dedication.Opus 10 consists of three sonatas, no. 5 in c minor, in three movements, no. 6 in F Major, also in three movements, and no. 7, in D Major, the largest of the three, in four movements.All three were dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, the wife of count Johann Georg von Browne, an important patron (Beethoven dedicated three string trios op. 9, written at the same time as the sonatas, to the count himself).The sonatas op. 10 are not performed very often, which is a pity: they are beautiful and sound fresh, while the modern concert repertory is often repetitive, with the same pieces being played over and over again.We can listen to sonata no. 5 and no. 6 in the performance by Alfred Brendel; sonata no. 7 is played by Annie Fischer.
Annie Fischer was a Hungarian pianist.She was born in Budapest in 1914.Despite the country’s tragic history, the 20th century saw a flowering of classical music in Hungary.Composers like Béla Bartók, Ernst von Dohnányi (Fischer’s teacher at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music), and later, György Ligeti and György Kurtág were all of the utmost importance.And then there were the conductors: Sir Georg Solti, Antal Doráti, the already-mentioned Dohnányi, Fritz Reiner, George Szell. (It’s interesting to note that most of the musicians we just mentioned were Jewish; most of the Hungarian Jews perished during the Holocaust).One of the most important composers of the first half of the 20th century was Zoltan Kodály, a friend of Béla Bartók.Kodály’s birthday is also this week: he was born on December 16th of 1882.Here’s one of his most popular symphonic pieces: the Háry János Suite from 1926.It’s based on Kodály’s opera, Háry János.The Cleveland Orchestra is conducted by George Szell.
Beethoven and Kodali, 2014
December 15, 2014. Beethoven and Kodali. Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16th, 1770 – at least that’s the accepted date: no direct record of his birth exists, but we know that he was baptized on the 17th. We celebrate his birthday by going through his piano sonatas. This
way, even if seemingly arbitrary, is as good as any: Beethoven’s piano sonatas are the not just an essential part of piano literature, they represent a pinnacle of European music. Last year it was Sonatas nos. 2 and 3, op. 2. This year we move on to Sonata no. 4, op. 7, in E-flat Major and the opus 10. Sonata no. 4 was written in 1796. By then Beethoven was living in Vienna (he had moved there from Bonn four years earlier). One of his benefactors, Prince Lichnowsky, provided him with living quarters. Young and cocky, Beethoven was widely acknowledged as a great piano virtuoso. He played in all major salons of the city, often improvising during the concerts. These improvisations brought him great acclaim. He composed, but not as extensively as he would just a couple year later. He also traveled: to Prague, with Lichnovsky, then to Pressburg (now Bratislava). Sonata no. 4 was published in 1797 and was dedicated to Babette Keglevich, Beethoven’s pupil. We know very little about Babette, except that she came from an old noble family, originally from Croatia, and that clearly she was a very good pianist – the sonata is technically quite difficult. It’s also pretty long, running about 28 minutes. Only Hammerklavier, no. 29 Op. 106 is longer. We’ll hear it in the 1975 performance by Sviatoslav Richter.
The next sonatas, op. 10, were written two years later, in 1798. 1798 was the year that General Bernadotte, the ambassador of the French Directory and the future King of Sweden (as Charles XIV), arrived in Vienna. It’s believed that it was Bernadotte who suggested to Beethoven that he write a symphony dedicated to the young, successful general by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. Beethoven did write a symphony, his third (we know it as Eroica) and initially dedicated it to Napoleon, but once Napoleon proclaimed himself the emperor of France, Beethoven withdrew the dedication. Opus 10 consists of three sonatas, no. 5 in c minor, in three movements, no. 6 in F Major, also in three movements, and no. 7, in D Major, the largest of the three, in four movements. All three were dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, the wife of count Johann Georg von Browne, an important patron (Beethoven dedicated three string trios op. 9, written at the same time as the sonatas, to the count himself). The sonatas op. 10 are not performed very often, which is a pity: they are beautiful and sound fresh, while the modern concert repertory is often repetitive, with the same pieces being played over and over again. We can listen to sonata no. 5 and no. 6 in the performance by Alfred Brendel; sonata no. 7 is played by Annie Fischer.
Annie Fischer was a Hungarian pianist. She was born in Budapest in 1914. Despite the country’s tragic history, the 20th century saw a flowering of classical music in Hungary. Composers like Béla Bartók, Ernst von Dohnányi (Fischer’s teacher at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music), and later, György Ligeti and György Kurtág were all of the utmost importance. And then there were the conductors: Sir Georg Solti, Antal Doráti, the already-mentioned Dohnányi, Fritz Reiner, George Szell. (It’s interesting to note that most of the musicians we just mentioned were Jewish; most of the Hungarian Jews perished during the Holocaust). One of the most important composers of the first half of the 20th century was Zoltan Kodály, a friend of Béla Bartók. Kodály’s birthday is also this week: he was born on December 16th of 1882. Here’s one of his most popular symphonic pieces: the Háry János Suite from 1926. It’s based on Kodály’s opera, Háry János. The Cleveland Orchestra is conducted by George Szell.