The December newsletter is out a day early … Pacific Overtures. December, 2017.
Happy Thanksgiving
This seems appropriate for the day, one of my favorite recordings of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Happy Thanksgiving.
Listen to this: Rondo
As we discussed in a previous post on the Minuet, classical music doesn’t always have to be as hard as it seems to be. With some simple listening tips, the arcane (seeming) can often become clear. Let’s take a look
Audio: Beethoven Symphony No. 5, III. Allegro
Glenn Gould plays the scherzo from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in the transcription by Franz Liszt. Initially, Gould’s tempo may seem too slow, but it works quite well over the long haul I think.
Audio: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, first movement
Here’s one of the earliest recordings of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with Arthur Nikisch conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in 1913. Don’t let the primitive sound put you off; it’s a fascinating interpretation, notable for its extremely flexible approach to tempo. Carl
Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’: Opening chords
This video presents a chronological survey of the first two chords (E-flat major) of Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony, as heard in recordings from the 1920s to the present day. You will notice not only different tempos, but also different tunings (the
Audio: Beethoven Symphony No. 5: Carlos Kleiber